Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut
by ZdrowcaB
Summary: An expansion to the end of "Mass Effect 3." Spoilers, obviously. Jane Shepard is stranded on Earth with a multi-racial military fleet, no access to the mass relays and no Normandy. This is what happens next. Rated T for language/violence/suggestive stuff.
1. Chapter 1

Spoilers regarding the ending of ME3, obviously. I swear, if you haven't finished "Mass Effect 3," stop reading now. As in right **now**, this goddamn sentence now. Now. Stop.

Much of this story revolves around my "canon" playthrough of the "Mass Effect" series (being a nerd, I have more than one save file). Female/ Paragon/ Engineer/ Sole Survivor / Spacer/ Romanced Liara for all three games/ Saved Ashley/ Saved Wrex/ Saved the Citadel Council/ Destroyed Collector Base/ Cured Genophage/ Re-wrote the Geth/ United the Turians, Krogan, Quarian, Geth/ Saved everyone in ME2/ Chose the "right" path and destroyed the Reapers. This is what happens next. I am of the group that hated the ending. I suppose this is my way of working through the grief, lol

Jane Shepard awoke with a start. Every fiber of her being felt like it were to fall apart with each gasping breath. Looking around, all she could see was rubble. Ash burned her eyes and smoke filled her lungs. She coughed and immediately regretted it, feeling pain within her lungs.

She tried sitting up, but even that felt like a chore. Once her vision cleared she could see it was about midday. Her wounds from her encounter with Harbinger and her vision on the Citadel were both fresh in her mind. Did all her hard work pay off?

_Get up, Soldier. This isn't the first time you've been blown up._

Jane wished the universe would give her a break and allow her these few moments of rest. She flexed her arms and moved her legs, relieved that all her limbs were, for the most part, intact and relatively unharmed considering she fell to Earth on the remains a giant orbiting space station several miles wide.

She found he strength to stand up, and started walking in a path that had a gentle, downward slope. Her omni-tool was badly damaged and was hearing nothing but static over her communications link.

"Hello, is there anyone out there?" she yelled. She hoped Joker or anyone else in the Alliance fleet would have seen the Citadel crash and would have good enough sense to investigate.

"HEY, IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE?" Her throat was parched and it was increasingly difficult to move and talk. She staggered to one knee in an attempt to catch her breath.

"I think I heard a human voice. Or it could have been the sounds of a dying pyjack, I can never really tell," said a gruff voice.

Shepard stood up and started walking towards the voice, most likely a krogan. She attempted to clear her throat, but got away with several hacking coughs. "This is Shepard, Systems Alliance, I'm over here!"

Through the fog, Jane could see an outline of a krogan running towards her. She braced for impact as best as she could. The krogan stopped a few feet away from her, and greeted her with a friendly jab to the side. Jane staggered a little, but kept her balance. The krogan was flanked by two others, none of whom she recognized.

"It's good to see you, Commander! Urdnot Darg, remember me?"

Jane could not remember. Truth be told, a lot of Krogan looked the same to her. "Sorry, but you'll have to refresh my memory. I guess this fall was a lot tougher than I thought."

"About a year ago on Tuchanka! I lost all hope, but you talked the fight back into me. I made it back to clan Urdnot and even got myself a woman. When Clan Leader Wrex was building an army to bring to Earth, I had to join."

"It's good to see you made it," Jane replied. "Is Wrex or anyone else around?"

"We've set up base with what's left of an Asari commando unit and a Human platoon about six clicks northwest from here. Wrex sent a couple of fireteams to scout the area in and around the crash site. He'll sure be glad to see you."

"I'm sure the feeling's mutual." Jane was relieved to see a familiar face. She also had quite a bit of questions that needed answering.

"We've got a Tomkah parked on the base of this pile of rubble. None of the other guys will believe you're still alive."

"That's not the first time I've heard that."

They moved down the hill, Shepard trailing a few yards behind. They reached the battered Tomkah, which had a Krogan in the driver's seat.

"So this is Commander Shepard? You're smaller than I imagined," said the driver.

"For your safety, believe everything you've heard about me," replied Shepard.

The krogan laughed, "I didn't plan on doing anything else. Anyone who can survive a thresher maw three times is krogan in my book."

They entered the Tomkah, which was much larger than the Mako Shepard was used to. Darg handed her two packets of medigel, one of which she applied to a large wound at her side. She immediately felt cooling relief and let out a small sigh.

"So, what happened, Shepard? After the Reapers fell apart, we've lost all communications past the sol system."

Shepard explained to the best of her ability, the events that happened at the Citadel control room. The Illusive Man, head of Cerberus, his desire to control the Reapers, ending his life, then meeting with the creator of the Reapers. It seemed all too surreal when she heard herself retelling the events.

"Shit, Shepard. If it weren't coming from you, I'd think you're making it all up1" exclaimed Darg.

"It's what happened. I'm just glad to still be around to tell the tale," she ran her fingers through her short reddish brown hair, a force of habit. "Who knows what you guys would do without me," she added jokingly.

They barreled along the countryside in the tomkah. Jane did not recognize her surroundings, though one thing was clear: there would be a lot of rebuilding needed to be done. Scattered throughout the land was rubble of buildings, both late 20th century and 22nd century brick and metal strewn about. Along the way, some humans, civilian and military, were sifting through the debris, taking what they could use, barely looking up as they rolled by.

"So Shepard, did you know anyone from Earth?" asked one of the Krogan.

Other than Anderson? Not really. Growing up in space left very little room or time to sightsee on Earth. "A few acquaintances and one very good friend. Other than that, I haven't lived on earth long enough. It's still tough to see it like this."

"Tuchanka has been like this for centuries. If your people are anything like you, there's still a chance," the krogan said halfheartedly before folding his arms and looking away.."

The tomkah stopped at a security checkpoint. Two alliance soldiers and an Asari approached the vehicle.

"Find anything new, Darg?" the Asari asked.

"You would believe me unless I laid eyes on the legend myself. We found Commander Shepard in the remains of the Citadel." The driver opened the side door and light entered the vehicle. The Asari, who's face filled with a mixture of surprise and awe, scanned Shepard with her omni-tool.

"Crap, it really is you!" the Asari exclaimed. She stepped off the tomkah. "Well, get in there and meet with Wrex. There's an entire shitstorm of intel you need to get caught up on. Goddess only knows how long he'll bear it until he kills someone," she said.

_The Universe can't ever stay saved, can it?_ "Sure thing," Shepard answered. She felt stronger with the medi-gel's repairs to her wounds and hopped out of the tomkah effortlessly.

"Shepard, I've got repairs to do on this thing, so just follow the tower to Wrex…and wait," Darg walked over to Jane and handed her an omni-tool and a phalanx heavy pistol. "You wouldn't seem legendary unless you were armed."

"Thanks, Darg. I owe you one," Shepard replied.

"You owe me nothing Shepard."

A small part of Jane felt guilty for not immediately remembering Darg, but based on the Asari's response on seeing her, it would be the least of her worries. Jane broke into a slight jog towards the tower. On the way, a few soldiers saluted her, but most were busy gathering whatever they could from what was left behind from the attacks. Eventually, she reached the tower, was scanned by two more krogan guards, and once the initial shock and awe was over and done with, she finally reached Wrex.

"It's good to see you cheat death again, Shepard," said Wrex, standing up from his seat. Surrounding him was a sea of flashing computer monitors, all with scenes from what Shepard assumed was around Earth, A VI drone, which seemed to be partially damaged was floating in the corner of the room, moving it what seemed to be aimless circles. On another end of the room, an Asari and four alliance officers were at separate computers. The officers stood up in salute. The Asari gave a knowing nod.

Shepard looked towards the soldiers, "At ease, gentleman." She stepped toward Wrex to shake his hand. "Good to see you too, Wrex. This environment…doesn't really suit you…"

"You got that right, Shepard. Your Admiral Hackett convinced me to run a separate base of operations south of what you Humans call 'London.' I still can't remember the name of this place. Brightly? It sure as hell aint that."

One of the soldiers, a female with a slight Dutch accent responded, "I believe we are in Brighton."

"Yeah. That." Wrex replied gruffly.

"I still can't believe Admiral Hackett got you to do something you didn't want, Wrex."

"I figured there'd be a good chance of finding you down here. I wasn't not gonna have some incompetent team of scouts mess this up. This terrain? It's an easy stroll for all krogan."

"Well, I'm glad you're still here. What's the sit-rep?"

"You've probably heard, but communications past the Sol system are down. About a third of the alliance fleet and one half of the turian fleet was decimated. Surprisingly, the _Destiny Ascension_ made it out, along with 75% of the Quarian fleet, including the live ships." Wrex sifted through screens, which showed the various ships remaining. Most were still orbiting Earth.

"What about the Normandy?"

"For that," Wrex took a deep breath, "You'll have to talk to Admiral Hackett. I have a direct line to him in the next room." Wrex led Shepard into a smaller dimly lit room. He pulled up a chair for Shepard.

"Thanks, Wrex," Shepard said.

"We'll see," He responded before shutting the door.

Jane pressed a few buttons and the image of Admiral Hackett game into view. He was looking down at something off screen. "What is it now, Urdnot Wrex?"

"Actually Admiral…"

"Commander Shepard! You certainly are a sight for sore eyes. Things have been a mess these past few days."

"So I've heard. What has happened?" Shepard could not help but feel that despite all her best efforts, she would always be one step behind large scale galactic problems.

"It's been almost five days since the Reapers were destroyed. In those five days we have lost all communications with our outer colonies. Anything outside of the Sol system has been lost to us. For now, the Turian and Quarian are being very patient, but I feel it will only be a matter of time before things fall apart."

Shepard slowly rubbed at her temples. _Nothing worth doing is ever easy_.

"What about the Normandy. My crew?" she asked.

Admiral Hackett shifted in his stance, looking uncharacteristically anxious. He folded his arms and said, "The Normandy is missing."


	2. Chapter 2

Shepard could not comprehend Admiral Hackett's words. He repeated them again, but they still rang hollow. "How is that possible?" she asked.

"We're not entirely sure. We think the Normandy plotted a jump before the destruction of the Reapers. Reasons for it are unclear, but that is the only plausible explanation. The best ship in the Alliance fleet…is inexplicably gone."

This made no sense. The fight was on Earth. Shepard knew there had to be a reason for Joker to plot a jump. Her crew, her friends, and the people she cared about; these were lost to her. "Joker must have had a reason…"

"I know this is a bitter pill to swallow, Shepard. We're still investigating, but we need you up here in London. I'll be sending a shuttle down to pick you up. See you in about an hour. Hackett out"

"Yes sir." Shepard shut off the comm link. She sat down, and let the new information sink in. she thought of every possible outcome, every possible reason as to why the Normandy would have jumped out of the Sol system. The Normandy was in danger? Had it veered too close to the Charon relay and jumped? Why did they leave Earth's orbit in the first place? She slammed her fist against the communications console and stormed out of the room.

Wrex was idly standing near a computer monitor. "I take it you already knew about the Normandy?" asked Shepard.

"I did. Just didn't think it was my place to break it to you," Wrex said with a shrug. "I didn't take Joker for a coward, though," he added.

"We can't jump to conclusions until we have the facts. Who knows what happened up there." It pained Shepard to think the Normandy crew would flee the battle, especially with reasons for the disappearance seeming to be few.

"Anyway, Wrex, what brings you down here?" Shepard asked, in an attempt to keep her mind off the Normandy.

"Well, like I said, your Admiral Hackett needed people to examine the wreckage left by the Crucible. I volunteered, simply because no one else would….and let's face it: no one else can. It hasn't been easy coordinating any of this."

Shepard looked over at the damaged VI drone floating aimlessly at the corner of the room. "I can imagine," she sald. "I never expected you to be the sort to organize search and rescues. Search and destroys, maybe" she added jokingly.

"You got that right. It's a mess, these past five days. It hasn't been tough ordering my men around, or the alliance and Asari, but the Turian and Quarian have been keeping amongst themselves, mostly."

Shepard never expected any of this to happen. Though, what could she have expected? Destroy the Reapers and everyone goes home? That was the plan. As with many plans carefully created in her life, they did not go through as expected.

"Do we know why they're steering clear of Earth?…I mean, other than the obvious reasons." Turians and Quarian have different a different genetic make-up when compared to other carbon-based life forms. Simple human food can prove to be fatal when consumed by a either race.

"All I've heard were rumors from your Alliance brass and the few Asari commando teams left. The Turian Primarch is keeping things civil up in London, but what's left of the Turian fleet is getting restless. The Quarian? Who the heck knows what they're thinking, they've always seemed a little shifty to me, even before the galaxy went to shit."

Shepard stared down at her feet, her armor's outer later completely burnt and peeling from the Reaper beam. Her entire body was sore as hell. Every fiber of her being begged for some sleep, some rest. The Quarian Admiralty board was probably arguing amongst themselves about what to do next.

"It isn't ever easy, is it, Wrex?"

"With you Shepard? It never is. If it were easy, there'd probably be a catch somewhere. Like killing a ship full of innocent children or blowing up a planet-sized colony. One of which I know you are guilty of."

Shepard gave Wrex a blank stare. His humor was sometimes lost on her.

"You know I will always have your back. No matter what happens. You helped cure the goddamn genophage. Tuchanka owes you. I owe you. And if it means staying here, I'll accept," he said somberly.

"Thanks a lot, Wrex. I know this isn't an easy decision."

"It's the only decision," he said gravely. "Anyway, I know Bakara won't let Tuchanka fall after all we've been through. The future of the Krogan…my people…is bright."

The system of monitors in the room shifted from information on the Victory fleet to an outside scene of an approaching Alliance shuttle.

"Brighton base, this is Shuttle 264, preparing to land to extract the Commander," a crackly voice over the intercom said.

"You are clear to land. Commander Shepard will be out shortly," responded one of the Alliance in the room.

"It ain't over, til it's over, Wrex. I'll be seeing you soon," said Shepard.

"You got that right, Shepard. Stay sharp."

The shook heads and Shepard turned to leave. She was escorted to the landing zone, where she was greeted by two Alliance soldiers, none of whom she recognized. They saluted her as she stepped aboard, and she tried to get comfortable on a bench. Across from her was a dim screen, where she saw her image reflected off the glass. This is the first time she has seen herself since landing to take back Earth. What she saw startled her.

The scars left from Cerberus' rebuilding of her body have re-opened. In addition to those small cracks was a rather large gash that started from the middle of her forehead to the end of her right eyebrow. Dried blood caked the right side of her right cheek, presumably from the gash. Her left eye was slightly swollen and bruised. Had she looked at herself in a photograph, she would not have recognized herself.

She looked around at the alliance escorts, who noticed her gaze and immediately turned away. It was clear they were nervous around **the** Commander Shepard. Shepard was not very used to all this reverence, despite having been the first human Spectre and the presumed savior of the galaxy. Unfortunately, she was much too tired to make conversation. _I've certainly seen better days_.

She shut her eyes and eventually her mind drifted back to the Normandy. Where was it? Where were her friends? Where was Liara? Shepard would have killed to hear her soft, calming voice. Even in moments of danger or crises, Liara managed to stay composed, or at least sound it. Liara was the one of the few beings in the galaxy who truly knew Jane Shepard.

Shepard had never felt so empty until at that moment. She opened her eyes and saw her battered face. In that shuttle, flanked by two alliance guards, she felt terribly alone.

_Was all this fighting worth it?_

The shuttle landed and they wordlessly disembarked at the edge of a severely battered Westminster Palace "Hey, this place looks in better shape than me," Shepard joked in an attempt to get the soldiers talking. Anything to keep her mind off Liara.

A soldier let out a small chuckle. "Well, you killed an army of Reapers while getting shot at with a bunch of giant laser canons. I think you'd one-up an old building any day…ma'am," responded one of the soldiers.

"Get your story straight, Corporal: it was one laser. But do continue with that story. I want people to think I can shoot thresher maws out of my sidearm." Shepard replied. Her escorts did not know how to respond to Shepard joking and let out a few nervous laughs.

Eventually they walked through the rubble and entered the massive, yet damaged, system of chambers and towers that made up Westminster Palace. Admittedly, all Shepard knew of this place was what she learned in school and saw in history vids as a child. It must have been elegant before the reaper invasion, but all she could see within the hallway they found themselves in was computer screens, storage containers, rubble, and people. There crowd consisted mostly of humans, but there were a few Asari and Turian roaming about. A few spotlights were scattered about, but most were off since the hallway was getting abundant sunshine from a hole in the ceiling.

"Admiral Hackett is in the next room. He's waiting for you." Shepard was largely ignored as she walked down the massive hall. Either she was so unrecognizable, or everyone looked the same: downtrodden and injured. Either way, Shepard liked the anonymity.

Shepard entered the next room and stood to salute the admiral. Hackett was always someone Shepard admired. He was strong, firm, and always did what was best for the Alliance.

Hackett saluted back. "At ease, Shepard." He took a good look at her and added, "I'll keep this brief and send you over to the infirmary. We've got a great hospital set up not far from here."

Hackett told her much of the things she gleaned from Wrex, but in greater detail. The Turian are keeping things civil as long as they are on Earth. The situation in Palaven is unknown to anyone at the moment, so that greatly adds to the restlessness within already weakened Turian fleet. Dextro-amino provisions are in short supply on Earth, and methods to produce more are limited. The Quarian have patiently stayed in orbit around Earth, but it is assumed they are growing restless as well.

"I hate to say this, but you're needed now, more than ever. The races need to see you. You brought this all together, Shepard. Perhaps seeing you will ease minds for the time being."

"Let's hope so, sir. I don't consider myself much of a politician," Shepard responded. She was downright exhausted. She could have collapsed in the middle of the room and slept, and would have been completely fine with that. Her entire body felt numb but in pain at the same time. She didn't realize it much after waking up, but each step she took felt as if pins and needles were boring into her flesh.

"You need rest Shepard. I'll spread the word to the other races that you're recuperating. It isn't a far cry given what you've been through. I've also got into contact with someone you'll be interested in seeing. She'll be waiting at the army hospital."

Shepard wondered who it could have been, but couldn't be too bothered to worry too much about it. Any familiar face would be good to see. Shepard was escorted to an Alliance hospital, which was a grounded medical ship. Everywhere she looked were the injured being looked after by nurses and doctors of almost every race. Asari and Salarian scientists worked alongside Human and Turian medics. This put Shepard's mind at ease, for a bit.

Her escort led her to an office, which seemed to have been quickly turned into a makeshift laboratory. In the corner of the room stood a bed, along with several medical machines, computer screens. Glass cabinets were stocked with medical vials and surgical equipment. Shepard moved to a small sink and splashed water on her face. The gash on her forehead stung. With her cleared face, the gash looked even worse than when she saw it on the shuttle. Shepard left it alone and dried her face with a nearby towel.

"We have nurses' aides for that, you know," a woman's voice said.

Shepard turned around, "It seems my life is in your hands again, Miranda Lawson." Shepard truly was relieved to see Miranda. Despite the medigel she applied earlier in the day, the pains in her body were growing stronger.

Miranda was dressed in her white jumpsuit. She was flanked by an Asari scientist and a Human medic. She led Shepard towards the adjustable bed and gently forced Shepard to lie down. "Damn, Shepard, just by looking at you I can tell it's a bloody miracle you're alive, much less walking and talking."

"I'd like to think you had a hand in my being this resilient in the face of death."

Miranda smirked, activated her omni-tool and scanned Shepard. Her face turned gravely serious. "We need to get you to an OR immediately." The asari moved in and removed the bed from the corner of the room. They proceeded to move quickly down the busy halls.

"What's going on?" Shepard asked.

"There isn't any time to explain," Miranda answered nervously. "But your body is slowly deteriorating." This revelation did not please Shepard in the least bit.

"I'm going to give you something to put you to sleep," she said. She then extracted an injection gun from her side.

"But-" Shepard grabbed Miranda's wrist.

"Shepard…Jane. Trust me. We need to work fast." Shepard let go of Miranda's arm and drifted off.

SO yeah guys, there goes chapter 2. Read and review. I accept any form of criticism.


	3. Chapter 3

"_It would be easy for a single ship to get lost out there, wouldn't it?"_

"_Yeah, it would."_

"_To find someplace very far away, where you can spend the rest of your life in peace…and happiness."_

Liara slid her fingers into Shepard's hand, which Shepard found to be incredibly comforting. Shepard gave it a small squeeze. "I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be."

"_Neither can I. But Shepard, you need to _open your eyes." Liara looked at Shepard with a supplicating look and traced her fingertips across Shepard's forehead. Jane shut her eyes, relishing the moment. The worries associated with saving the galaxy were temporarily at bay. She was in her room, on the Normandy with the person she loved.

Shepard opened her eyes to find herself alone in her room. Panic filled Shepard's mind and it suddenly became difficult for her to breathe. She struggled out of the bed before feeling an intense pain across her chest. Her body seized up and she let out an exasperated breath.

The pains subsided and she felt comfortable enough to open her eyes again. She found herself in a coolly lit room. A woman in an Alliance officer's uniform had her back to her. She was facing a cabinet, which she softly closed shut. Shepard could have recognized that familiar faded reddish brown hued hair anywhere.

"Mom?"

The officer turned around, with a look of relief on her face. The resemblance was rather striking. Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard had the same reddish brown hair as her daughter, though her hair was styled in a sensible bun. The hairs around her temple were graying. Her piercing green eyes commanded attention. Her olive skin was not without blemishes, having participated in various skirmishes against the batarians decades ago.

The elder Shepard walked over to her daughter's bedside and gave Jane a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'm so glad you're here, Jane."

Jane squeezed her mother's arm and let out a small smile. "It's good to see you too, mom."

Hannah took a seat at the side of the bed. Shepard shifted a little to the side to provide more room.

"How long have you been here?" Jane asked.

"Everyday since I've heard you were here from Admiral Hackett. It has been quite an adventure keeping reporters out of the room." She turned on her omni-tool and the door to the room opened. Shepard could certainly hear a crowd of people having conversations, but they could not be seen.

"We decided the best thing to do was to erect a barrier around these quarters. No one gets in or out with express permission from Ms Lawson."

"How long have I been out?" Jane asked. She felt much better in comparison to the last time she was conscious. Her opened and closed her hands and felt no pain. Her breathing was normal and she felt limber.

"You've been out for an entire month," her mother responded gravely. "Honestly, some of us did not know if you were going to pull through. Of course, I always knew you would.'

This revelation shocked Shepard. Things were always falling out of her grasp, in this case it was time. "What's happening with the Council races?"

"You waste no time in worrying about the state of others, do you?" Hannah joked. "As it stands, the quarian have the largest fleet and are itching to get out of the sol system. They've agreed to cede two live ships to the turian fleet if they can get the schematics to the Normandy. Of course, in order to get that, the turian have proposed they stay here and help with the rebuilding on Earth."

"I never thought I would see the day where the turian are at a political disadvantage," Jane said.

"With what I've seen of the galaxy, I never thought I would see the quarian in an advantageous position to negotiate on anything, much less the schematics on the Normandy. We've given them the blueprints to the SR-1. They don't need to know we've improved on the old formula."

The sat in silence for a few moments, lost in thought. The world didn't fall apart in her absence, so what would stop her from going off the grid?

"Is there any news on the Normandy? My Normandy?" Shepard asked

"Unfortunately, I have not heard from Hackett or anyone else concerning your ship. Over the past month, a handful of colony and Alliance freighters have made it to Earth from other systems. With that in mind, I wouldn't lose hope." Hannah stood up and walked over to a corner of the room and poured two glasses of water.

"There have also been talks about bringing back the council. The salarian, turian, and asari representatives have survived the war, thanks to you, no doubt. Scuttlebutt says you would be on the ballot as the Human representative," said Hannah, handing the glass over.

"Me? I'm not one for politicking. I wouldn't even know where to begin." Jane couldn't wrap her mind around being an ambassador. She was much more comfortable in a firefight than winning arguments. Given what has happened over the past several months, she could understand why she would be chosen for the job. She wasn't sure if she was ready.

"I believe you can do whatever you put your mind to…that being said, I feel that Admiral Hackett would be a better choice for councilor," she said with a slight look of ambivalence on her face.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence there. I'll have to agree with you, though. I don't know if I'm cut out to be a politician."

Miranda entered the room, holding a datapad. "It's good to hear you talking again, Shepard. Maybe you can use that silver tongue of yours and talk all our problems away." She turned on her omni-tool and scanned Shepard's body.

"I'll leave you to it, Ms Lawson. I have business to attend to on the Orizaba." Hannah gave Jane a hug before leaving the room.

"Your mother is quite an individual. I wonder how I would have turned out if she had raised me instead," Miranda said softly.

"Don't start thinking like that, Miranda. You turned out all right; you've saved my life…again. So, what was wrong with me?" Shepard asked.

"If you remember when you we first met, you had visible scarring from small Cerberus implants beneath your skin. To put it simply, they were the glue keeping you together. If you hadn't upgraded the Med-bay on the Normandy, it's very likely you wouldn't be around now."

Shepard was glad she decided against being a cheapskate and dropped the 50,000 units of platinum that was required. "So, I'm not a cyborg. I'm fully human?" she asked.

Miranda gave her a cross look, "I believe we've been over this before. You are still you, but better. I was able to repair the imbedded implants, so you're back to normal. It was painstakingly difficult, to say the least."

_That little lying bastard_. Shepard was fuming. The Catalyst nearly tricked her into believing that she would not survive these events; that the implants in her would kill her if she chose to destroy the Reapers.

"Is there something wrong, Shepard? You look upset."

"I've been under a lot of stress lately—"

"That's the understatement of the decade."

"—and I'm just thinking about the next step. What do I do? The war is over and now we've got to rebuild. What's my place in all this? Where would I fit?" She ran her fingers through her hair and looked up a Miranda.

Shepard did not want to share too many details about the events on the Citadel. No one would believe an ephemeral spirit-child was the Catalyst. Or that Reapers were synthetic life created to destroy organic life before other forms of synthetic life beat them to the literal apocalyptic punch. If she thought too much about it, it just frustrated her.

"For starters, get the bloody hell out of bed! You are Commander Shepard and you saved the goddamn galaxy from giant mechanized monsters. The Normandy may be missing, but there are people here on Earth that would follow you into the very depths of hell. You aren't alone, if that's what you're worrying about."

Shepard had never seen Miranda like this. The only sides Shepard knew of Miranda were the very driven and professional aspects of her personality. Upon hearing that outburst, Shepard leapt out of bed. "Thanks, Miranda. I needed that shot in the arm."

"Shepard, I consider you a good friend. I can't say that about many people. The last thing I would want to see happen to you is burn-out."

"Sorry, sometimes I forget that I've got great support at my side."

"That's quite all right, given these past several months I'll forgive you for almost anything," Miranda said. She walked over to the cabinet on the far side of the room and retrieved what looked to be an Alliance officer's uniform.

"I'm fairly certain this suit is in your size." Miranda handed Shepard a navy blue Alliance officer's suit. "Take as long as you need in getting ready. I'll be waiting near the barrier."

# # #

Shepard holstered her phalanx pistol and made sure her omni-tool was in perfect working condition before leaving. She saw Miranda standing by the barrier with her arms folded, flanked by two Alliance guards. On the other side of the barrier were a flock of reporters, some with cameras hovering over their shoulders. The barrier was removed and the Alliance guards attempted to part the crowd.

"Try not to pay mind to these vultures, Shepard," said Miranda. She had a look of disgust on her face.

They waded through the crowd as the Alliance guards moved reporters to the side.

"_Commander Shepard, what happened aboard the Crucible?"_

"_Commander Shepard, what was behind the destruction of the mass relays?"_

"_Commander Shepard, what do you think about all these other alien races setting up bases on Earth?"_

"_Commander Shepard, is it true you are in a relationship with an asari?"_

"_Commander –"_

They made their way towards a shuttle several yards away from the medical station. One of the guards stayed behind to keep the crowd at bay while the other drove the shuttle away.

Shepard leaned back into her seat as the shuttle sped away from the medical station. She looked out into the crowd and past the debris and buildings that was the city of London. It seemed that the press wasted no time in turning against her.

"Miranda, where exactly are we going?" Shepard asked. It seemed to her that she was being led somewhere, as opposed to what she was used to doing: the leading.

"We're heading to New York City in North America. Before landing we will set up a vid conference here with Admiral Hackett, who has moved his base of operations from London to Reykjavík, Iceland. The reaper attack there was not as brutal as it is here. Your mother was put in charge of operations in London, while others have been sent to various metropolitan areas around Earth to deal with rescue and rebuilding. It's closer to North America so it'll be easier for him to coordinate between North America and Europe."

It dawned on Shepard that it was very likely that the rest of her life will have to be spent on Earth. It was a strange feeling, having grown up in space stations, never having stayed for more than a few months in one specific planet. She looked up at the gray sky and wondered how many ships were orbiting Earth and how many of them were equipped to travel through systems without the help of mass relays.

"Is there something happening in North America that would warrant that move?" Shepard asked.

"New York City was one of the hardest hit cities in North America, along with Los Angeles and Vancouver. Rumor has it that approximately 80% of New York's human population has been decimated. What's left of the Asari fleet has set up operations there. No doubt there is animosity growing between the asari and what is left of the humans…" Miranda trailed off.

"I take it you don't approve of the asari moving in." Shepard said.

"I don't like that any of aliens are setting up shop here, whether they be a council race or not. I still have to live with it, though. For the time being, it seems that we are all stranded here."

"We all need to work together. The Reapers may be gone, be we've got a long way to go…" Shepard looked over at Miranda, who looked away. Shepard decided to change the subject.

"How is your sister doing?" she asked.

Miranda let out a small smile. "She's doing great. We correspond through private message every day. You mother has allowed her to act as a liaison between the Alliance rescue effort and spacer refugees. She seems to be very much a people person, unlike myself. I also think spending time with the elder Shepard would do her good. Less explosions and gunfights, at least," Miranda joked.

Shepard grinned. It was good to see Miranda at peace with her family. "When all this insanity is over, you've got all the time in the world to spend with her."

"That's still the plan, Shepard," Miranda responded.

Miranda's omni-tool began to beep. She turned it on and a small projection of Admiral Hackett was in full view.

"Shepard, it's good to see you in top shape," said Hackett, saluting the commander. Shepard saluted back.

"It's good to be around, sir," Shepard replied.

"I'll cut to the chase. No doubt Miranda has briefed you in on the happenings in New York City. I've been speaking with what was left of the Citadel council and we have decided that the best course of action here would be a Spectre investigation. You're to meet with another surviving Spectre operative once you land in the district of old Queens. There are several bunkers that have survived the Reaper invasion. Any weapons, armor, and lodgings left standing there are free for you to use. Miranda will send the coordinates to your omni-tool"

"Exactly how much of New York City is still occupied by human forces?" Shepard asked.

"On the books, New York is and always will be human territory. It is still on Earth, after all. For complicated reasons, the asari have decided to set up their main base of operations there. The Destiny Ascension has landed on the southern tip of Manhattan island. Human-asari relations have always been congenial. Hopefully, it stays that way, but human survivors of the Reaper war are weary of these newcomers. There are unverified rumors of off-world mercenary bands murdering our people for supplies. I find this scenario highly unlikely, but I need someone to investigate."

"If it will help keep the peace, sir, I will be more than willing to oblige," said Shepard.

"I have transferred some credits to your account in the event of an emergency. We may be rebuilding, but if the volus and asari have anything to say about it, the galactic economy is far from crumbling. Keep me posted. Hackett out." His hologram disappeared

"Admiral Hackett is does not splice words, nor does he hide behind a sinister aura. I should have joined the Alliance over Cerberus ages ago…unfortunately that would have made me easy prey for my asshole father," said Miranda.

"Well, you're helping now and that's all that matters."

The shuttle shook a little. "Sorry ma'am. There's some slight turbulence. Either way, we're approaching New Yor—" the Aliiance guard fell over to the left side, blood leaking from his helmet.

"He's been shot!" Miranda exclaimed. Shepard dragged the body out of the driver's seat while Miranda attempted to keep the shuttle in the air. More shots whizzed by the shuttle, some hitting seats, others windows.

"Can you see who's shooting at us, Shepard?" Miranda frantically asked.

Shepard moved to the passenger seat and saw two faint gleams coming from the roof of a building. "It looks like a pair of snipers," Shepard said, keeping her head low.

"Shit." Miranda veered the shuttle to the right, hoping to land in an area that was not so densely packed with buildings. Four more shots whizzed by, one of which fatefully hit the engine. The shuttle began to descend rapidly and the ship's VI repeatedly pleaded for the pilot to "pull-up."

"I can't keep this up, Shepard!"

"Brace for impact!"

There were no seatbelts in the shuttle, which Shepard thought was a ridiculous idea. Miranda quickly set up a biotic shield, protecting the both of them as the ship crashed. She then let out a biotic explosion, which allowed them to leave the crumpled heap that was once the shuttle.

"Are you all right, Miranda?"

"I'll be fine."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Shepard asked.

Miranda took out a modded M-25 Hornet. "Stole it from a Cerberus agent on the Citadel. I'll have to admit, it has come in handy more than few times."

Shepard took out her Phalanx pistol, wishing it were her upgraded Carnifex. _It'll have to do for now_. She quickly sprinted toward one building with a caved-in roof, Miranda trailing behind her. From a distance of about 40 meters she could see a group of solders, perhaps five or six, wielding assault rifles, approaching the crash site. They were speaking to each other over open communications channels.

"That was good shooting Sarto. We finally get to have our revenge over the human scourge, one human ship at a time" said a gruff voice.

"We still have to destroy the alliance between the asari and the humans, though" replied his teammate.

"Let's salvage that ship and report back to Balak," responded the first.

_Balak? I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance_.

"Those batarian idiots," whispered Miranda.

"Their idiocy is our advantage," replied Shepard.

She launched a sentry turret to cover her right flank. Once the group grew closer, she launched a combat drone while Miranda warped the shields of one of the alien solders. Her warp field bled through to his team mate and they both staggered to the ground.

Shepard shot at the two fallen soldiers while the drone shot rockets at one of the others. Miranda provided suppressing fire while Shepard continued to overload and incinerate the remainder of the platoon.

"That was almost too easy, Shepard," said Miranda.

"Yeah well—" a bullet whizzed by Shepard's head, missing it by a few inches. Shepard retook her position of cover around the corner of the building.

"The snipers, do you see them?" she asked Miranda.

"I can't. Even if I could, our guns wouldn't be able to fire at them successfully from this position."

Shepard thought about their options. They could sprint from building to building, taking cover at every corner and hope to figure out the source of the sniper fire. Or just stand there until the pair eventually run out of ammo. She chose the former.

They sprinted from building to building, Shepard being especially careful. She had no armor and the only shields available to her were from her omni-tool. The two snipers were perched on the third floor of what seemed to be an abandoned school. Shepard could make out the two glints from each of the sniper scopes. They were approximately four meters away from each other and twenty meters from Shepard and Miranda's position behind a pile of rubble.

"We can't get any closer, Shepard. They can pick us off if they wanted too."

Suddenly, the two snipers, were whisked out of the building, and tossed to the ground like rag dolls, their motionless bodies glowing from an obvious biotic attack.

Shepard looked over her shoulder to see a purple-skinned asari in a white jacket floating towards them.

"So, it seems there's only one rule in New York?" Shepard said.

"Quite right, Commander. Don't fuck with me."

# # #

End of Chapter 3. R+R and all that. I'm not used to writing action sequences _


	4. Chapter 4

Aria T'Loak hovered over Shepard and Miranda for a few more seconds before putting her feet on solid ground. It seemed strange for Shepard to see her outside of a nightclub, even more so to see her in action. Shepard holstered her gun and stood up. Miranda slowly did the same.

"I'm surprised to see you here, Aria," said Shepard.

"As am I, Shepard. It seems reports of your incapacitation have been greatly exaggerated," was Aria's snide response.

"What are you doing here? Last I checked, you were plotting to take back Omega on the Citadel." Said Shepard.

"You're right. And I realized it was a lost cause. The Reapers overran the system. Even if I tried, it probably would have been for naught." Aria turned her back to them and looked out at the expanse of rubble. "It seems things are looking up now."

"What do you mean?" Shepard sensed something in Aria. She couldn't tell what, but this feeling was not pleasant.

"Do you see this rubble, Shepard? Beneath all this debris is Reaper tech. Tons and tons of it. This city was one of the hardest hit, and with whatever it was you did, what you call New York now has the largest stockpile of potentially usable Reaper tech on this planet. The races are scrambling for it. And here I am, on top of it all."

Miranda raised her weapon to Aria. "I can't let you do that. This isn't your planet, this isn't your tech."

Aria slowly turned around and scoffed at Miranda. "Don't be so foolish, Ms Lawson. We are on the same side. The engineers and scientists of the Destiny Ascension and the other council races are here for the sole purpose of appropriating reaper tech into the dreadnaught and their own respective ships to get off this planet. I'm just here to make sure things run, as I have heard some humans say, 'swimmingly.'"

"This has to benefit you somehow," Shepard said as she gently moved Miranda's arm down.

"I'm hurt, Shepard. I am known for my bleeding heart and caring disposition." Aria circled the pair menacingly. "The sooner we re-fit our ships with Reaper tech, the sooner we can get off this planet. Of course, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself while I'm here." She crouched down to pick up a brick, then stood up and used her biotics to break it down into a fine, reddish brown powder. "I can sense a history to this place. There's undeniable grit to it. Dare I say it's like Omega?"

Shepard knew Aria would not act on anything unless something affected her bottom line. Shepard could sense Miranda's growing anxiety, but she knew how to deal with Aria. "So why did you help us just now?" she asked.

"I heard we are after the same thing. A number of asari scientists have been found dead. Poisoned. Normally, I wouldn't care, but a growing number of reports claim that humans are responsible for the deed." She stopped walking and looked at Shepard squarely in the eyes.

"I know that is not the case, since you two are the only capable humans I have seen in a ten kilometer radius that isn't either on a food line, salvaging reaper tech, or background-checked and working on a ship. This type of poison is fatal to humans in smaller doses than it is to asari. With this in mind, your race can't possibly be culpable." She turned her back to Shepard and added sarcastically, "How embarrassing would it be if an asari was killed by a human through poisoning? I can't bear the thought."

"Anyway, why are you here? It can't be purely a coincidence that you found us." Miranda asked, trying to keep her voice even.

"It isn't every day I see an alliance shuttle crash. I brought my skycar here and find two old friends fighting off a bunch of batarians. The batarians didn't stand a chance, but I decided to drop in anyway"

"You have a skycar? Do you think we can use it to take us to a place called Old Queens?" Shepard asked.

Aria looked at the both of them slightly irritated and replied, "I don't drive anyone around, but I'm in a generous mood. I'll let you borrow it on the condition you find the assholes poisoning my people. While you're out there I'll be here, making sure the rest of New York you aren't in doesn't fall apart." She then smugly crossed her arms.

"Thanks, Aria. I'll be in touch," said Shepard. They both turned on their omni-tools and exchanged information.

"I'm sure you will," Aria replied.

Shepard and Miranda entered the battered skycar, which worked surprisingly well for something that looked like a pile of rubbish on the outside. Miranda entered the coordinates of old Queens from her omni-tool into the car's internal map system. The car roared to life and began to move. Traffic was not a problem considering the amount of air traffic was limited to Alliance and council race shuttles (which were few).

"Every time we meet her, I feel she finds a way to use you in some way or another," said Miranda.

"Well, better to stay on her good side than her bad. Everything we've done has been mutually beneficial. I don't see that changing any time soon," Shepard responded.

The car began to descend and decelerate slowly over an uncharacteristically smooth landing pad, on the roof of a building several stories high. The area surrounding the landing pad had been cleared of all debris. There was a higher concentration of buildings still standing in the area, though remnants of the reaper invasion could still be seen. Compared to the area where they crashed, this part of New York was not as damaged.

Two soldiers emerged from a hatch on the far side of the landing pad to greet them. One was human, the other salarian. The car sputtered a few moments before landing. Shepard and Miranda exited the car and the human soldier saluted.

"Jondum Bau, special tactics and recon. It is good to see you again, Shepard," said the salarian.

The human soldier saluted Shepard, who saluted back and turned to Jondum. "It's good to see you alive…but I'm surprised the Spectres are still around."

"Our ranks have definitely dwindled, but there are enough of us to help keep the peace. Those that haven't renounced their Spectre status have been paired with high-ranking alliance officers and assigned to various large cities to keep some sort of order. It seems that I have been lucky enough to be assigned with you for this mission."

"It's good to have you aboard Jondum. Maybe once all this has passed you can make your way back to Sur-Kesh."

"Thank you for the kind words, Commander, but I have accepted the fact that I may never see Sur-Kesh again. The remaining Salarian fleet in this system is not as large as it once was, though my people's engineers are researching ways to outfit and adapt remaining Reaper tech into ships. It may take months, or even years for any viable prototype to be space-worthy. Though, perhaps with the combined intellect of the salarian and asari with the resourcefulness of the quarian and turian, we may have something viable sooner rather than later," he responded.

Shepard felt terrible. For the races being stranded, for the mass relays being destroyed. She knew that it wasn't entirely her fault. It was the only way to save everyone from the Reapers, from imminent extinction. Was eliminating faster interstellar travel worth it? She had to believe it was.

"Nothing worth doing is ever easy. The reaper tech we salvage has to be worth something." Shepard looked at the area around her. Some buildings were still standing, though paved streets could not be seen. Around her, people, human, turian, asari and salarian could be seen excavating what was left of the destruction. Few took notice to her and the ones that did simply gave her a knowing nod.

"What is the situation with mercs targeting human civilians?" Shepard asked.

"I have reason to believe that batarians are attacking human civilians whilst sabotaging council attempts at further unity between your species and the other races. I do not have solid proof but quite a bit of circumstantial evidence towards all of this. I intend to do whatever it takes to take them down, Commander."

"Miranda and I have reason to believe Balak, a batarian extremist might be responsible. That might be a good place to start."

"Actually, Commander, I was told to give you access to the armory here. Judging by the state of your uniform, some battle armor would do you good," said the alliance soldier.

Shepard looked down at her officer's uniform and saw how worn it had become over the course of the day's events. Miranda's outfit seemed to be in better shape. Although she wore alliance colors now, navy with highlights of silver and gold, her battle suit still accentuated her alluring form.

"How the heck do you do that, Miranda?" Shepard asked.

"Do what?"

"We've been through the same circumstances and you look like you just left a dressing room, while I look like I've just survived a firefight."

Miranda looked over at Shepard and gave her a small grin. "I have my ways, Shepard. I can't go around spilling secrets, can I?"

Shepard shook her head and let out a small chuckle. As they were led, Shepard could see the inside of the building was much more frantic than the outside. Everywhere, humans, asari, and turian were moving about, attending to someone, or working on something at a computer or omni tool. Plenty of natural sunlight lit the halls through large windows outward.

"How is this place still standing? Footage of the reaper invasion that I've seen showed much of New York City as leveled," asked Miranda. Shepard thought the same thing. Recordings of large cities that were broadcast across the systems essentially painted a bleak picture of the fate of large metropolises.

"Luckily, we were able to hold this position. Queens isn't exactly the economic or governmental hub of New York City, so the attack in this area was not as brutal. The Unisphere is still on one piece, if you were wondering," said the alliance soldier, with a slightly proud look on his face.

Neither Shepard nor Miranda knew what the Unisphere was though neither of them wanted to be the first to admit it.

"That's good to know, soldier," Shepard answered, before their combined silence were to grow awkward.

"Here's the wing that has been sectioned off for Spectre use." He saluted them and waited by the door. Miranda leaned against the door frame near the soldier.

"Well, I haven't exactly attained the rank of Spectre either, so I'll stay here. Twiddling my thumbs, of course," said Miranda wryly.

Shepard looked around the modified series of rooms to see several large computer terminals and equipment lockers. On the far side of the room, a turian sat, inputting data into terminal. He looked up and greeted Shepard with what seemed to be a smile.

"Ah, Commander Shepard. Savior of the galaxy. The human press may not be as kind to you now, but you've certainly hit your stride with our people," said the turian in a soft, gravelly voice.

"Well, I never paid any mind to what the press ever had to say about me, but my track record has been good…so far. So, what do you have for me?"

The turian motioned to a computer terminal, which Shepard browsed through. "The cache is essentially what the alliance, turian, and asari fleets could muster up over short notice. The volus provided a few SMG's while the quarian have shown up blueprints for experimental mods. What I've seen has been great so far, but it all depends on who's fighting, isn't it?"

Shepard browsed the terminal and purchased her Rosenkov materials chest plate and leg-guards, along with Serrice council shoulder pads and Kassa fabrication gauntlets. She finally felt ready to face whatever this new world were to dish out at her.

"Between the three of us, this purchase will be on me. If not for your help, I would probably be six feet under on Menae. Of course, it would have been a good turian death, but I would rather be alive and behind a data terminal than dead at the hands of what were once my own people," said the turian.

"Thanks," said Shepard. The armor was obviously refurbished, but seemed to be in perfect working order.

On the other side of the wing, Jondum was working on some sort of chemical mixture. He closed two small vials, and placed them tenderly in a side pocket, along with a syringe.

"What is it you're doing?" Shepard asked.

"I've heard rumors that the sabotaged asari scientists were poisoned with something lethal only to humans and asari. As a precaution, I have brought with me the components of the antidote. Unfortunately, it is only viable for a short period of time after the chemicals in the two vials are combined, so I intend to be very careful with it," said Jondum.

"That's good to know. Hopefully it won't be necessary," said Shepard.

"I agree," he responded.

Jondum walked over to a weapons locker, took out a mantis sniper rifle, and holstered it on his back. They left the Spectre office to see Miranda leaning against the wall across the hall, fiddling with something on her omni-tool. She looked up and greeted them with a nod.

"You're looking more like your usual self Shepard," she said.

"I feel it too. Let's go kick Balak's ass."

# # #

So, there's chapter four. For those of you that have been reading, thanks a bunch. I haven't been able to update this story as fast as I would like (what with work and school getting in the way). Once the semester ends, I'd have more time to work on this. Also, writing is effing hard, lol.


	5. Chapter 5

"Just once, Shepard, I wish bastards we try to take down would surrender peacefully!" Miranda said as she attempted to take cover behind some ruined skycars.

"Yeah well, it seems the universe hasn't realized that messing with me is damned near futile," Shepard responded.

Shepard, Miranda, and Jondum tracked what was left of Balak's mercenary band to an abandoned warehouse several kilometers south of the Spectre bunker in Queens. By Shepard's calculation, there were 14 batarian mercenaries remaining, including Balak. He had fortified the perimeter with sentry turrets, all of which were easily disabled with a combination of Jondum's sniper rifle augmented with disruptor ammo and Shepard's tech skills.

Shepard peered over to see a group of six mercenaries emerge from the entrance and attempt to seal the door behind them. They began to spread out; Shepard assumed they were trying to outflank her team. Before they could get too far, Shepard set up a turret before running to the far side of the entrance and launching a combat drone, mindful to keep her distance. As she did this, Miranda provided suppressing fire while warping the barriers of a few of the mercenaries. Jondum hid behind another grounded skycar and picked off any mercenaries that were distracted by the combat drone, as Shepard finished off any outliers with incinerate.

With the area around the entrance cleared, Shepard, Miranda, and Jondum regrouped near the door, where Shepard worked to hack the door open. Miranda stood against the doorframe while Jondum covered the rear. The door sprung open, but before either of them could move forward, a barrage of shots were fired from an assault rifle. Shepard managed to take cover behind a storage crate before the attack went completely through her kinetic barriers.

"Hold your fire. I'd like to have a friendly chat with the good commander before we continue with anything else" said a deep voice.

Shepard peered over and saw Balak raise an arm to order his troops back. Shepard stood up and walked toward Balak, flanked by Miranda and Jondum. Shepard quickly perused the room in the hope of finding some sort of weakness in Balak's defenses. Unfortunately, there were none. Other than several storage crates scattered about, equipment lockers and computer terminals lined against the wall, there was nothing Shepard could exploit.

The remaining soldiers, eight of them, holstered their weapons. All of them were batarian and all were glaring at Shepard. A group of three stood close to each other, close to Shepard, while a group of four stood close to Balak

"So, Shepard, you destroyed the reapers and nearly every war asset you acquired is stuck here on this rock you call a home. Now I see you, out flanked and out numbered. What brings you here?" Balak asked smugly.

"You know exactly why I'm here. You've been attacking human civilians and sabotaging the asari. I'm ending what you started three years ago," Shepard responded. She tightened the grip around her gun and from the corner of her eye, saw Jodum slightly shift in his stance.

"So what if you stop me, Shepard? The human race is on the brink of destruction. I'm making sure it happens sooner rather than later." Balak looked over to Jondom and added, "I'm surprised you're siding with the humans, salarian. Your kind is as much at a disadvantage as my people."

"Batarian, you don't know how wrong you are," Jodum replied. He quickly aimed his sniper rifle and fired. Balak had just enough time to get out of the way, but the sheer force of the rifle's bullet obliterated his left leg. He let out a growl of pain.

Miranda released a biotic slam, which broke the bones of one mercenary, while Shepard incinerated the remaining two. Shepard, Jondum, and Miranda took cover behind the storage crates. One mercenary attempted half carry half drag Balak out of the firefight, but Jondum shot him in the chest. The two remaining mercs took cover on the far side of the room. Shepard launched a combat drone and fired at the one that was lured out of cover.

Balak attempted to drag himself towards the rear exit. Before he could get further, Shepard overloaded his remaining shields, stopping him in his tracks. Miranda attempted to confront Balack, but as she peered out of cover, the last mercenary threw something from his side, which hit her on her left shoulder.

"Bloody fucking hell!" she exclaimed before leaning against a storage crate. The handle of a knife protruded from the front of her shoulder.

Jondom reloaded his sniper rifle and shot the remaining mercenary.

"Miranda, are you all right?" Shepard asked. She knelt down next to Miranda, who pulled the knife out of her shoulder.

"I'll be fine. Who the hell still uses knives as weapons? We're not in the fucking sixteenth century, Shepard," she said bitterly. Shepard took out a packet of medigel and applied it to the gash. Miranda winced slightly as Shepard applied the salve. She leaned her head against the crate and shut her eyes.

Jondum stood over Balak, his weapon aimed at Balak's back.

"Stay here," Shepard said to Miranda, who nodded in acknowledgement, still sitting near the container.

Shepard walked over to Balak, who was groaning softly. She shifted him over so that he was lying on his back, facing her. She held him by the collar of his clothing

"You smug bastard. For three years you've plotted against us and know you want to ruin what little the council races have left. I should have killed you when I first saw you," Shepard said.

"But you didn't. You're weak Shepard. All humans are selfish and you're no different. Hiding behind statements of altruism, I know you don't give a vorcha's ass what happens to the other races. What helps you helps humanity and that is that," Balak replied.

Shepard stood up and quickly kicked him in the ribs. Jondum cocked his gun. Balak simply laughed.

"Pain is nothing Shepard. Humanity is going the way of my people. I've already won."

Suddenly, Jondum was lifted off his feet and slammed against the wall. He gun fell out of his grasp and landed not far from Balak. Before Balak could reach for it, Shepard shot him square in the head, a pool of blood growing at her feet. She quickly turned to Miranda, who had an expression that looked like a combination rage and disbelief.

"Miranda, what's gotten into you?" Shepard asked, her gun raised uncomfortably in Miranda's direction.

"Where is she, you bastard?" she replied, readying another biotic attack. Shepard quickly dodged her warp and looked over to Jondum, who was still shifting slowly, attempting to stand.

"What the hell are you talking about? Who?" Jane asked. She looked at Miranda's face, who's eyes showed pure fury.

"Orianna! You kidnapped her. You betrayed my trust, Niket!" Her body glowed again, ready for another biotic attack, but before she could release it, Shepard shocked her with an overload. The attacked stunned Miranda and she staggered backwards while Shepard ran over to help Jondum stand.

"Are you all right?" she asked him

"I wouldn't be much of a Spectre if a human biotic could take me own in one shot," he responded.

Miranda stood up and looked at the pair of them with anger in her eyes. "You're all against me!" she yelled. Her stance shifted as she clearly attempted to concentrate her biotics on them. Strangely, nothing happened. She took out her firearm and shot at them. Shepard and Jondum dove behind adjacent storage crates.

"What do you think is wrong with her?" Shepard asked.

"It seems that she has been infected with the toxin, which primarily attacks the brain. Victims start to hallucinate and slowly loose any biotic abilities, though that's only the first phase. You'll have to distract her while I concoct the cure," said Jondum.

"My biotics! You've done something to me, Niket! Did Henry help you? I'll fucking kill you both!"

Shepard half crouched, half ran from crate to crate, yelling Miranda's name to keep her attention. Miranda sprayed bullets at the direction of Shepard's voice, clearly not aiming, focusing solely on her rage. When she paused to reload, Shepard attacked her with another overload and then sprinted across the room. She approached Miranda from behind, tackled her down, wrestled the gun out of her grasp, and threw it across the room.

Miranda hit Shepard with a backwards head butt, which fatefully hit Shepard on the nose. The contact stunned Shepard and she fell to her side. Jane could feel blood running across her face her face and with one open eye, she saw Miranda scurry toward her weapon. Shepard grasped at Miranda's ankle and used all her strength to pull her closer.

"Stop fighting me, damn it!" said Shepard. She held Miranda in a bear hug. Miranda was hysterical, squirming in Shepard's arms.

"I'll fucking kill you, I'll make sure you pay for everything," Miranda said lividly, tears running down her face. "I trusted you."

"Jondum are you about done yet? I feel like I'm losing her," said Shepard frantically.

"Keep her still as best you can," said Jondum, standing over them with the syringe.

"Get the hell away from me, you psychotic bastard!" yelled Miranda trying to get away. Jondum placed the needle against Miranda's neck and pressed the plunger down. Shepard felt Miranda's body go limp in her arms. Her rapid breathing evened out and Shepard gently rested her on the floor and stood up.

"Will she be okay?" Shepard asked.

"She should make a full recovery, though that will take several days. I would suggest a low-stress, restful environment. Unfortunately how much of that she can get in these circumstances is difficult to see," he answered.

Shepard looked around at the dead bodies that surrounded them. It dawned on her that she could have killed the last batarians in the galaxy and felt a tremendous amount of guilt.

_Pull yourself together. They needed to be stopped_.

"Let's call a forensics team down here. See if they can scour anything the batarians left behind," said Shepard.

"Sure thing."

# # #

Shepard stared at herself in the washroom mirror. They made it back to alliance bunker in Queens, while Miranda was transported to a hospital in Reykjavík. Shepard would have joined her, but there was not enough room in the medical shuttle.

_Besides_, Shepard thought, _I should leave her alone to rest_.

Her nose stopped bleeding but was a little swollen, the area surrounding it an unattractive plum color. She held her phalanx pistol in her had and stared at it, wondering her next move.

_80% of New York's population is decimated. Other metropolitan areas as badly hit. Do I even belong here? What good is all this?_

Shepard fell to her knees, quietly sobbing.

_Miranda almost died because I put her in danger. All of my friends put themselves in danger, for my sake under the guise of it being for the betterment of the galaxy. Well, the galaxy's fucked now. What good am I?_

There was a knock at the door. Shepard cleared her throat. "Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Jondum, Commander. I have finished my report for the council. I wanted to see if you wanted to read it before sending it," he said.

Shepard stood up, splashed water on her face, dried it, and then opened the door.

"Sure, I'd like to look it over," she said.

Shepard haphazardly skimmed the files, which summarized the batarian plot to sabotage humanity's relations with the other council races, a stockpile of the toxin found in several of the lockers in the warehouse, along with contraband weapons and armor.

"How did you know the type of poison they used and the specific cure?" Shepard asked.

"This investigation began, primarily because there were inconsistencies between what the salarian Special Tasks Group listed as their inventory of bioweapons and what was actually available. This inconsistency was unlikely, unless some sort of outside force had stolen some of our stockpile."

"So your people invented this poison as a weapon?" Shepard asked angrily.

Jondum crossed his arms and said "It was purely experimental It never meant to be used or released in any sort of way," he said curtly.

"You said the first phase involved hallucinations and a loss of biotic ability. What would have been the next stages, if it ever went that far?"

"Well, the next phase would have been a loss of sight, followed by seizures, then death." Jondum said calmly.

"You wouldn't be able to answer that unless it has been used on some poor sap beforehand," Shepard said.

Jondum stayed silent. Shepard then added, "Sorry. Look, I'm glad you're on our side. We need to work together if we're going to see things through. I'm just upset. Miranda is a good friend of mine, and as of right now, one of the few that I know of that has survived the reaper war…." Shepard clenched her fist.

"I understand, Shepard. I'll send this report to the council, and you can go about your business."

# # #

Shepard found a group of engineers that were traveling to Iceland to help with the reconstruction of the Citadel. There was a total of eight engineers, five of them human, two of them asari, one of them salarian. Shepard hitched a ride with them with the intention of visiting Miranda in Reykjavik.

Based on what they told her, the Citadel fell to the Earth, relatively unharmed. The remains that surrounded the Citadel crash cite near Brighton were bits of spacecraft belonging to the fleet. Wrex, with the help of several asari commando units, were able to successfully excavate parts of the citadel. This news raised Shepard's spirits and she boarded the shuttle with these engineers. On the flight to Reykjavík, they compared omni-tools and chatted about the most efficient omni-tool brands. It has been far too long since Shepard conversed with other tech specialists.

When the shuttle landed, she parted ways with the engineering team and hailed a cab. As the cab traveled toward the hospital, Shepard was stunned at how relatively unharmed the city was when compared to New York. There was still damage done city streets, but unlike London or New York, the off-worlders did not outnumber the humans (though there still was a noticeable presence).

The cab stopped in front of a Shepard tipped the driver and exited the cab. Before she could enter the hospital, she was greeted by a volus.

"Hello Commander Shepard. I was hoping to find you here," said the small volus.

"Barla Von. Still keeping the galactic economy in check?" Shepard asked.

"Amongst other things, yes. Of course, with the way things are now, doing so has been rather difficult. Fortunately, there are things that I can rely on. One of them being you showing up when you need to, for instance," he replied. "Please, walk with me, Shepard."

Barla led her to an office building not far from the hospital. In the ground floor were several kiosks, each manned by members of different races. Shepard looked around to see quarian, turian, and asari, working side-by side buying, selling, and trading various items. Barla Von led them to an empty kiosk, which he unlocked and entered. He reached from under the counter and took out a slate-gray box.

"Open it, Commander," he said.

"What's in it?" Shepard asked.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss it unless you open it," he replied.

Shepard was suspicious of the box's contents, but knew she shouldn't be worried since they were in the middle of a crowded marketplace. She opened the box to find a modified handgun. Not simply any modified handgun, but a fully upgraded Carnifex hand-cannon with a pistol scope and magazine upgrade. It was Jane's weapon of choice.

"Where did you get this?" she asked. She held the gun in her hands; it felt as good as her original.

"Complements of the Shadow Broker, Commander."

# # #

So there you go, guys. I felt this chapter was a little uneven, but I'm procrastinating on three long papers by working on this, lol. I'm a bad student, don't be like me.


	6. Chapter 6

Jane stared blankly at Barla Von, not sure if she heard his words correctly. She gently placed the gun on the counter and asked, "**The** Shadow Broker?"

"Yes, Commander. The mass relays may be gone, but somehow this hasn't hindered communication between the Shadow Broker and myself. Actually, I lost contact with the Broker for about 13 earth days after the Reapers were destroyed. I assumed the worst until I received several coded messages, indicating that the Shadow Broker is indeed still in business. Why he would want to pool resources to give you a gun is beyond me," said the volus financier.

Shepard eyed the gun, comforted knowing that Liara was alive somewhere, pulling the strings amidst the backdrop of an Earth on the brink of falling apart. _Thanks for looking out for me_. She took the gun and holstered it. "It seems guessing the Shadow Broker's motives would be useless on our part," said Shepard, trying her best to hide the fact that she knew precisely who the Shadow Broker was.

"I can only assume he doesn't want you out of the fight yet, Commander. There's a fragile truce between the races. We all have our roles to play," he responded.

"That we do," said Shepard. She looked around at the makeshift market, observing all the different races mingle. If it were anywhere else but Earth, Shepard would not at all feel uneasy. She knew this peace couldn't last too long although she hoped that it would. Earth wasn't the Citadel, though based on her observations, it very well could have been. There were some humans in sight, though they all avoided her gaze.

"When was the last time the Shadow Broker contacted you?" Shepard asked.

"A couple of earth days ago, with directives to meet with a salarian gunsmith that happened to already have the weapon available with the directed specifications. He seemed rather nervous to be doing business with me. I assumed he must have been a newly minted operative."

Shepard wanted to dive over the counter, grasp the volus, and plead with him to let her get into contact with the Shadow Broker. To Liara. She wanted to be wherever Liara was, to just forget all the troubles that constantly followed her around. She shut her eyes and remembered the last gift Liara gave to her. A memory. Liara's hand in her's. _I want to show you something, Shepard. _She opened her eyes before she completely lost herself.

"I'll have to head out," she said.

"I won't keep you, Commander. I wish you well."

Shepard rushed out of the office building and into the open air, a cold breeze hitting her face. If there was one thing space stations lacked, it was natural weather patterns. She zipped up her sweater and put her hood up. The weather in Reykjavik was drastically different from the mugginess she felt in New York. She looked at her omnitool to see that the local time was 2330. Despite the late hour, it looked like dusk was just starting to set in. She began to quickly walk to the hospital until a familiar voice called out her name.

"Commander Shepard, over here! Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Global News Network."

Shepard turned around to see Khalisah briskly walk in her direction, a VI camera trailing behind. Shepard was not sure if she should be relieved or on edge to see her again. The last time they met, Jane was able to convince her that forging an alliance between the council races would be to the benefit of humanity. Whether or not the adamantly pro-human reporter still felt the same way was up in the air. Shepard crossed her arms and mentally prepared herself for a potential onslaught of questions.

"It's been difficult tracking you down, Shepard. First, we all thought you were dead or in a coma, then you were sighted in New York, and now, here you are in the capital of Iceland. You are quite the globetrotter," she said somewhat sarcastically.

"It's all a part of the job," Shepard answered with a bit of caution in her voice.

"I was wondering if you could answer some questions. Considering all that has happened since the destruction of the reapers, I feel the people deserve a few words from the esteemed Alliance Commander," said Khalisa.

Shepard straightened her posture and responded, "You know me. I'm not one to shy away from reporters."

The VI camera lit a spotlight on Shepard, who took off her hood, and briefly squinted to get used to the bright light. Al-Jilani eyed Shepard in a predatory way and asked, "What do you have to say about the council's decision to divide the remaining supplies of reaper tech evenly amongst the races. Don't you think humanity should have first pickings, since this is **our** planet?"

Shepard ran her fingers through her hair and said, "Defeating the reapers was just the beginning. Although the off-world races are technically visitors to this planet, we still all need to work together. The mass relays are down and we're left with no viable way for cross system travel. The closer we work together to outfit our ships with reaper tech, the sooner our guests can make their way off Earth and back to their homeworlds."

Khalisah seemed a little off-put at Shepard's diplomatic answer, but was not deterred. She then asked, "You call these aliens 'guests,' Commander. They're depleting our resources and some are even setting up long-term bases on badly hit city centers. Look at the asari, for example. They've more or less taken Manhattan."

If Shepard were more reckless, she would have roundhouse kicked the reporter right there, but she controlled the impulse to do so. "It would be one thing if they were idly standing by while we did the heavy lifting, but that is not the case. The asari have greatly helped the relief effort in New York. Let's also not forget the fact that the turian have been essential in humanity's efforts to rebuild as well."

Khalisah crossed her arms, and briefly looked at the camera before asking, "There are rumors that an asari has taken you as a bondmate. Some people find this scenario uncomfortable. How can we be sure you have humanity's best interest in mind if you're off 'embracing eternity' with a being that isn't even human?"

Shepard knew this sort of question would have been asked of her. Given Al-Jilani's vehemently pro-human reporting, Jane knew if anyone were to ask her, it would have been Khalisah. Before the destruction of the Shadow Broker base on Hagalaz, Shepard acquainted herself with the Broker's intergalactic security feeds and was somewhat surprised to see footage of the reporter embracing and kissing an asari. However, footage of the same reporter being kicked by a volus and head-butted by a krogan was not a surprise at all.

"I am a human, and I will always have humanity's interests in mind. That being said, I will not shy away from the fact that I fell for an asari. Who I fall in love with and what I decide to do will have no affect on my service to our people. Out of all everyone I know, Ms Al-Jilani, I would have assumed **you** would be more understanding," Shepard said, with a glint in her eyes.

Al-Jalani moved her gaze away from Shepard and shifted her stance, looking visibly nervous. "I don't know what you're talking about, Commander. Anyway, where is this asari now? Probably off spilling alliance secrets to asari high command! The people have a right to know!"

Shepard fumed, making fists out of her hands, wanting nothing more than to knock out the smug reporter. Al-Jalani saw the anger rising in Shepard and prepared herself for an attack, something she was used to.

Instead, Jane shifted her stance so that the carnifex could be seen holstered on her hip, folded her arms and directed her gaze to the camera. "I don't know where she is," she said, with a tinge of genuine sorrow in her voice. "I lost contact with her and the ship she was on during the battle to take back Earth." Before Jane even realized it, tears were running down her face, which she immediately wiped away with a sleeve. "Sorry," she quickly added.

The VI camera's spotlight turned off. Khalisah moved a little closer to Shepard and put a hand on the commander's shoulder. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pressed so hard…and you're right. I should have known better. We've all lost someone close in this war," she said with genuine remorse.

"Well, it's already happened. All we can do is move forward. If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be," said Shepard.

"Of course, Commander."

Shepard put her hood back up and sprinted toward the hospital, hoping to avoid any unnecessary attention on the way to her destination. She registered at the front desk and was directed to where she could find Miranda. Surprisingly, none of the humans paid Shepard any mind. Shepard enjoyed the anonymity and made her way through the hospital to Miranda's room, which was ajar. She knocked softly on the door before entering. Miranda seemed to be asleep, her chest rising and falling with every breath. Near the bed, sat Oriana, preoccupied with something on her omni tool. Shepard tapped her on the shoulder.

Orianna stood up and smiled, pulling Shepard into a friendly embrace. "I'm glad you came, Commander. She hasn't had many visitors, but her omni-tool has been going haywire since I got here," she said, referring to a blinking metallic wristband on the bedside table.

"How is she doing?" Shepard asked.

"The doctors expect she should make a full recovery. She's been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past few hours. I'm not entirely sure if she knows I'm here. Though, I should ask you the same thing, Commander. You're not looking too great either."

Shepard looked at her self in a mirror hanging over a sink. The swelling on her nose had subsided, but there was very visible bruising on the bridge of her nose and some discoloring in the area surrounding it. "Eh, it builds character," she said.

Oriana let out a small chuckle. "I don't know, Commander. If you build any more personal character, your head is bound to explode," she joked. She looked over at her sister and her face darkened. "I know it's not my job to worry about Miranda. I also know that this isn't the first time she's faced death before, but it's difficult to see her like this."

"She'll pull through. It seems she and I have something in common: we're both hard to kill."

Miranda stirred in bed before slowly opening her eyes. She looked around the room, looking a little dazed and scared, but smiled at her sister and gave Shepard a puzzled look. "What am I doing here and what the hell happened to you?" she bluntly asked.

Shepard and Oriana gave each other a look. Shepard then explained the events surrounding the confrontation with Balak and her poisoning.

"And I owe this lovely nose-shiner to you, Miranda. You put up quite a fight in our attempt to restrain you in time to administer the anti-venom. Apparently, you thought I was Niket and Jondum was your father," said Shepard

"I guess I must have been going insane if I thought going against two Spectres was a good idea," she said. Miranda rubbed the shoulder that was struck by the knife. "I remember the knife hitting me, and you applying the medigel, but little else. You're certain there were no loose ends?" She added.

"I personally made sure," Shepard replied sternly. "I also brought you something," she added. Jane took out a small satchel from her hip and handed it over to Miranda. Miranda opened it and held a combat knife in her hands. She removed it from its sheath to reveal a blade with a formidable jagged edge.

"So this is the weapon?" Miranda asked.

"Yes, it's already been scrubbed by forensics, so other than obvious safety concerns, the knife's good to go," Shepard replied.

Miranda put the knife back in its sheath and traced her fingers along the designs on the handle. "If it didn't almost kill me, I'd say it is a beautiful piece of workmanship."

Oriana eyed it from where she was sitting. "It looks batarian," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh? And how would you know that? My little sister, the xenologist!" joked Miranda.

Oriana blushed. "I took an 'Intro to non-human peoples' class in university! We talked a little about batarian art & designs, which is usually only found in their weaponry or in their religious," she said sheepishly.

"We won't be seeing any more of them any time soon," Miranda said coldly. She placed the knife on the bedside table and looked over to her blinking omni-tool. She quickly put it on her wrist and started to sift throught the files. "I get knocked out for a few days and I'm suddenly..."she muttered.

"Anything important?" Shepard asked.

"Mostly junk but..." She fiddled around with her omni-tool. "I've received an encrypted message. It's got an alliance signature, but it's nothing I recognize. Let me just..."

A familiar voice filled the room.

_"Hey. As much as we hate each other's guts, I'd appreciate it if you didn't delete this message. I heard news that you and Shepard are tearing shit up in New York and doing what she does best: being hero. I need her help… and I guess yours too. I've been put in charge of a platoon of biotics with support from my Grissom academy students. We've been assigned in Chicago. Things have been a bit tough but it's been nothing I couldn't handle on my own. Thing is, some of my students have gone missing. I'd chalk a few days gone up to a good night out, but these are kids. My kids. I've sent a request for aid to Alliance brass and to the Council but no one's replied. I guess a few missing biotics ain't a big deal to them. With the way things are in these parts, I can't do it alone. Get back at me, if you haven't already deleted this."_

"Jack must be desperate if she got in touch with you," said Shepard. "You still need time to recuperate, Miranda. I can head to Chicago and find a way to get into contact with her…"

Miranda was silent for a few moments. She rubbed her temples for a few seconds before looking at Oriana, then up at Shepard. "I want to help her, Shepard."

# # #

There you go guys, chapter 6. I realized there aren't a lot of dudes in this story, lol.


	7. Chapter 7

Shepard and Miranda sat idly in a car that would take them to a shuttle bound for Chicago. They were being driven by a fidgety alliance marine, who seemed nervous to be around *the* Comander Shepard. Minutes before, Miranda said her goodbyes to her sister, who took a shuttle back to her duties in London.

"How are you feeling?" Shepard asked.

"Better than a few days ago," she answered. She made fist, her arms glowing with biotic energy, which quickly dissapated. "My biotics aren't what they used to be but I feel it getting stronger by the day," she added.

"That's good to hear," said Shepard. She looked out the window and observed the passing landscape. Any damage done by the reapers have been cleared, though some buildings had some scaffolding indicative of reconstruction. "Reykjyavik is looking really good," she said to no one in particular, trying to make small conversation.

"It is. I don't think I'd mind working here. To be closer to Oriana, at least," replied Miranda.

"I don't know how I'd feel about the really long winter nights or long summer days. I guess living on space stations has spoiled me with climate-controlled environments," said Shepard.

Miranda chucked, "Once a spacer, always a spacer, it seems. If you think about it, are the daylight patterns any different from inter-galactic travel? Sleep when you're sleepy, is how I would treat it."

Shepard looked up at the sky, wondering if she would ever see the Normandy again. Receiving the carnifex from Barla Von renewed her hope, but where was Liara and the rest of the Normandy crew? Stranded somewhere in space? Would they have enough fuel reserves to come back to Earth if they jumped to another system? Shepard shut her eyes and thought about the memory Liara gave to her.

_"I want to show you something, Shepard. A memory."_

_The two of them were standing next two each other at a digsite. There was an assortment of asari and salarian excavating ruins._

_"What is this?" Shepard asked._

_"This was my first serious excavation cite as a graduate student. It is of some importance to me, but not for what you may think. Follow me," Liara answered. She took Jane by the hand and led her to a cave formation several meters away. The inside of the cave was artificially lit through spotlights scattered several feet apart from each other. What was inside the cave amazed Shepard. Strewn along the cave walls were crystalized rock formations. The spotlights reflected light off the crystals, which consisted of a multitude of colors._

_"It's really beautiful," said Shepard._

_"I used to spend my breaks here, usually lost in thought. Whenever my courseload felt like too much, I would come here to clear my head and rest for a bit. It sounds silly, but admiring the crystalized rock formations was very relaxing," said Liara._

_"Doesn't sound silly at all," replied Shepard. _

_Liara let out a small chuckle. "You say these things, Shepard, and I wonder if you really mean them." She then knelt over a group of purple crystals and ran her fingers along the tips of the crystals. "I want to give you this memory as a refuge. When times seem horrendously difficult, you'll have your own place in your mind to attain some sort of serenity."_

_"I do mean everything I say," murmured Shepard._

_"Hm?" Asked Liara, who was gazing at the rock formations._

_"I said, come here!" Shepard pulled Liara close to her, embraced the asari, and leaned in for a kiss._

"Shepard!" Miranda nudged the commander, "Sorry to wake you, but we've arrived."

Jane opened her eyes to find the car parked outside of an Alliance shuttle. They left the car and walked towards the shuttle, where a smattering of Alliance soldiers saluted the pair. Jane saluted back and boarded the shuttle, to find Admiral Hackett. She saluted the admiral, who saluted back.

"Please, take a seat, Commander. I was hoping to catch you in time," said Hackett.

"Of course, Admiral. What seems to be the problem?"

"I've read Jondum Bau's reports on the warehouse out in New York. It's a good thing they were stopped in time," he replied.

"Well, I was just doing my job, sir."

Admiral Hackett let out a small grunt. "You're too modest Shepard. If those batarian extremists weren't found, who knows the extent of the damage they could have done? Also, Your interview with Ms Al-Jilani has been playing all over the extranet and broadcast around the fleet non-stop. I don't know how you do it Commander, but that interview has made human/asari and human/turian relations stronger than ever."

"Thanks, sir, but I really don't know what to say..."

"I'll cut right to the chase, then. As you know, the Citadel has been excavated and efforts are underway to attempt to repair it. A few alliance, asari, and quarian ships have been successfully outfitted with reaper tech and are undergoing tests to see if these prototypes are spaceworthy. I've been acting as a liason between humanity and the Citadel council, while maintaining the Alliance fleet as well. I don't need an answer right away, Commander, but I have the intention of nominating you as humanity's ambassador to the council," Hackett said, with a hint of pride in his voice.

Shepard was stunned. A part of her knew that this would happen, but she could not imagine her life as a politician. "I'm honored, Admiral, but I don't know if I'm cut out for that type of thing. Backroom deals, arguing, political backstabbing, phony emotions, and luncheons...?"

"You won't need to respond right away, as I know this is a very difficult decision. Take all the time you need. Ms Lawson has relayed to me that the two of you are investigating missing human biotics in Chicago?"

"Yes, sir, that is correct."

"I've received word that conditions there have been difficult for the 1st Biotics division, but I had hoped that spectre intervention wouldn't be necessary, as the group is stretched quite thin as it is. It's a good coincidence you are on your way out there. I've wired several thousand credits to your account. Good hunting out there, Commander," said Hacket.

Shepard stood up to salute Hacket, who returned the salute, then left the shuttle. Shepard slouched back into her seat. Miranda took a seat across from her. The shuttle roared to life and Shepard felt the aircraft lift off the ground.

"Judging by this shuttle's top speed and the relatively low amount of air traffic, we'll reach your destination in about three hours," said the pilot.

"Thanks," Shepard responded. She then leaned over and shut the panel connecting the cockpit to the rest of the ship for some privacy. She didn't always like doing that, but after Hackett's announcement she didn't want to be bothered unless it was absolutely important.

"I could really use a drink right about now," Shepard murmured.

"When this is over, perhaps we can go celebrate your promotion. I heard Aria opened up a place in the warehouse Balak used. Probably won't be as clean as Purgatory, I'm just hoping it isn't the rat-infested pisshole that was Afterlife," replied Miranda.

"At this point, I just want to cut loose! I destroyed the reapers, I fell to Earth, from space, I should add, and cheated death so many times I've lost count," Shepard said tiredly. "You know, I never wanted any of this," she added.

"You haven't failed once in you colorful, illustrious career, Shepard. No matter what has happened to you, you've always managed to claw your way back on top. I think you would make a good ambassador," Miranda said encouragingly.

Shepard knew Miranda occasionally eyed her with envy. Despite this, Shepard detected no malice in her intentions. "Thanks Miranda, but I'll have to think about it before coming to any decisions. After all, I can't be the only one qualified for the job."

"Humanity needs a face it can trust. As it stands, Shepard, you're that face."

The pair sat in silence for an hour, Miranda, working on something omni-tool, while Shepard looked out the window and watched the scenery as it passed by.

"Miranda, I know you and Jack have your differences, but why do you want to help her?" Jane asked. She felt she dodged a bullet when she broke up their fight after the events on Pragia, and expected the two would avoid each other at all costs after destroying the collector base.

Miranda let out a small sigh, "Well, with the way things are now on Earth, I suppose our squabble on the Normandy seems insignificant."

Shepard appreciated Miranda's shift in attitude and gave her an approving look.

"Also, she made the effort to contact *me.* I can't have her coming out of this the better person, can I?" Miranda added, with a smirk.

"It looks like you're picking your battles wisely. I'm glad you're coming around," said Shepard.

"Well, we'll see how long we last until one of us blasts the other to oblivion."

"I'll make sure that won't happen."

# # #

As the shuttled flew over the city, Shepard could see that Chicago was hit as hard as New York. Many people were travelling about, clearing rubble and excavating reaper technology. The turian and quarian had a small presence, with what looked like two turian frigates and quarian live ship, parked side by side. Alliance personnel could be seen maintaining a perimeter in the area. What looked like an asari matriarch was speaking with a group of human scientists. The shuttle landed in the outskirts of Chicago as per Jack's request.

Shepard and Miranda disembarked to see Jack lounging underneath the shade of a makeshift lean-to made out of parts of different buildings. She had three Alliance officers with her, along with some of her students from Grissom academy. Jack quickly stood up and approached them.

"If it isn't my favorite sheep herder and cheerleader," Jack greeted.

"I've never heard of that before, Jack. You make that up all by yourself?" Shepard responded wryly.

"I did, actually. Pulled it right out of my ass for your hearing pleasure," said Jack.

Shepard could only let out a small smirk in return. "So, you must be in deep trouble if you went out of your way to contact Miranda," she said.

Jack shifted in her stance, folded her arms, and averted her eyes. "Yeah…some of my students have gone missing. The local authorities won't do anything about it. Fuckers."

"I can understand not being able to find missing persons under these circumstances. Everyone's still reeling from the reaper invasion and trying to rebuild," Shepard said calmly.

"It's more than that, Shepard! We risked our fucking lives defending this city. Sure, once the reapers keeled over everyone was happy for a few days, but then the other races started to land & set up shop here. The locals couldn't deal with it, but had no choice. Instead, they start venting their agression on the only minority group they can get away with hating on: other humans. Biotic humans. I tell you Shepard, the only place in the entire fucking galaxy afraid of human biotics is planet fucking Earth. I've been here for several weeks and I want to get off this goddamn rock," Jack said angrily.

Shepard knew that biotics did face some prejudice amongst the ignorant crowd, but assumed that most people were educated enough to know better. It seems humanity still had a long way to go. "I'm surprised you haven't torn this place apart, Jack," Shepard said.

Jack looked over at her remaining students, who were several paces away chatting with some alliance soldiers. "At the academy they were taught to keep their emotions in check. To know that they aren't like other people, but understand that what they have 'is a gift to be used responsibly,' or some bullshit like that. I'm just trying to set a good example & all," she answered.

"Jacqueline Nought, teacher and role model. I never thought I'd see the day," said Miranda, with a slightly teasing tone.

"Yeah well, looks like you haven't changed much, Princess. Not a surprise that even in alliance colors you still look like you're gonna burst out of your outfit," replied Jack.

Miranda looked at Jack scathingly. Shepard decided to break the tension. "Do you have any leads concerning your missing students?" she asked.

"Kahlee Sanders has been trying to smooth things over with the local authorities. She isn't a biotic, so they're more welcoming of her. Thing is, that hasn't gotten anywhere, though..." Jack paced back and forth for a few seconds before adding, "The students that have gone missing were my most powerful biotics. This can't be a coincidence."

Shepard took a few minutes, then said, "We should find Kahlee, then go to where your students were last seen. They can't turn away the first human spectre, one of the most powerful human biotics, and one of the most cunning operatives the Alliance has to offer."

"Let's tear those fuckers apart, Shepard."

# # #

Not much action, I know, but I am mentally drained. Next time, shoot outs, biotic fights, and explosions. Promise.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you into sports, Commander?" Asked Kahlee.

"Shooting's a sport, right?" answered Shepard.

Jane, Jack, Kahlee, and Miranda stood by Wrigley field, an athletic field named after the founder of a giant confection conglomerate, which, in the beginning of the 22nd century, expanded its market to include educational technologies. Their slogan being, "no classroom is complete without gum under your desk and your desk connected to the extranet." It was a bold, yet surprisingly successful business move.

Although this arena was originally known for housing baseball games played by the Chicago Cubs, it was now used as a makeshift clinic for the nearby inhabitants. Jack's missing students were last seen in the vicinity of the playing field, working as volunteers for the relief effort.

"So they were last seen here. Have you asked anyone if they've seen anything?" Miranda asked to Jack.

"The first thing I did was ask questions. No one bothered helping me because they're all a bunch of goddamned bigots," responded Jack angrily.

"Maybe if you calmed down a bit, people would want to help you," Miranda said hastily.

Jack growled, "Screw you, cheerleader. You have no idea how it is here!"

Shepard quickly stepped between the two of them, "You two need to calm the hell down. Jack: no one will help you if you look at them as if you're going to bite their heads off. Miranda: try to be a little sympathetic here, all right? We're all after the same thing."

Miranda and Jack nodded their heads glumly. Kahlee took Shepard aside. "Are they always like this?" she whispered.

"It's getting better. The fact that they aren't actively trying to kill each other is an improvement."

Shepard then raised her voice, "So, what has your progress been with the local authorities concerning the missing students?" She asked Kahlee.

"Well, according to the locals, Rodriguez and Prangley were volunteering in the field, something I already knew. We've made rules where students are supposed to return to our base before 2300 hours. They've been consistent with following curfew, which is why it was strange they went missing a few days ago. I've done my share of investigating, but people in the clinic haven't been in the least bit helpful. I have no proof, but they're hiding something. I can feel it."

"Let's go. If they've got nothing to hide, they've got nothing to worry about."

# # #

The inside of the athletic complex was filled with people busy helping the injured or sick. Although it has been more than six weeks since the reapers were defeated, nearby hospitals could not accomodate the growing number of people in need. What struck Shepard was everyone in the arena was human. Off-worlders could be seen in the immediate area around Wrigley field, but none could be seen on the inside. After walking a few steps in, they were stopped by two security guards. Judging by their attire, they were privately hired mercenaries.

"We said you're not allowed here, Jack," one of them said gruffly.

"She's with me, and I'm on spectre business. I'm also with an alliance representative," said Shepard.

The other guard eyed Shepard with an unimpressed look. "Your alliance trappings and status may cause the asari to swoon all over you up in space, but down here, you ain't hot shit," he said. He then held up his M-96 Mattock rifle.

Shepard quickly walked up to the guard, disarmed him, and hit him in the face with the butt of his rifle. The force of her actions suprised him more than hurt him, but he was bleeding from his lip and nose and staggered to his knees. His partner aimed his weapon at her, but could not act since Jack aimed her geth plasma shotgun at him, while Miranda erected a stasis field.

"If you think he size of your gun or the content of your threat scares me, you are an idiot. If any of that bullshit mattered at all, the reapers would still be here, and you would probably six feet under," Shepard said sternly.

"Ms Sanders, are you armed?" She asked.

"No, commander, I'm not," Kahlee answered.

"Consider this your new gun," Shepard said, handing her the Mattock. Kahlee took the weapon and aimed it at the guards. Shepard stepped back and allowed the first guard to stand. "Now, we're gonna investigate the disappearance of two of our own, and we're not gonna encounter any resistance from you assholes. Deal?"

The two mercenaries nodded their heads and let them through. "Asari-loving bitch," one of them murmured. Shepard decided to let that one slide, not seeing it as an insult, and continued walking though the stadium.

"I never thought I'd see that side of you, commander," said Miranda.

"Hell, Shepard, I could probably get some pointers from you in ball busting," added Jack.

"What's done is done. Let's get to work."

Most of the patients relocated to Wrigley field came from neighboring hospitals, primarily for rehabilitation purposes. Scattered across the field were cots with patients either resting or being tended to by a nurse or doctor. Scattered across the stands were a mix of support staff and patients, sitting or talking with other people. There were also quite a number of mercenaries, all of them with their weapons holstered. Some of them were casually chatting with doctors while others suspiciously eyed Shepard and her team. Shepard and the group soaked in the environment. Other than the mercenaries that gave them trouble on the way in, everything within the area seemed cordial.

"This place is huge. It'll be best if we split up. Jack and I will investigate the home team dugout and bullpen. Miranda & Ms Sanders, I want the pair of you to talk to those scientists lounging by the visitor dugout. Something seems off about this place. Keep your comm links open," said Shepard.

"I hope I won't need to use this gun, though. There are too many civilians around," said Kahlee referring to the Mattock slung over her shoulders.

"So do I, but we need to be ready for anything. Be careful out there," said Shepard, looking over to Kahlee, then shifting her gaze over to Miranda for several seconds.

"Of course, commander," replied Miranda.

Shepard watched the pair leave before turning to Jack and heading towards the bullpen. "Something going on between you two?" asked Jack.

"What do you mean?"

"Do I need to spell it out for you? The way you looked at her…seemed like something happened between you two," said Jack.

Shepard let out a small chuckle. "Something did happen, but it really isn't what you think. I've lost enough friends over the past couple of years and I don't want that list to grow any longer," Shepard replied. "Hell, if it'll make you feel better, let me even things out…" Shepard then gave Jack a look of mock desire, to which Jack responded with a friendly jab to Shepard's shoulder.

"Shit, all right, I get it! Sorry I asked," Jack said, with a slight hint of embarrassment in her voice.

They walked over to the home team dugout, where three doctors and a lab technician were working on data terminals. They looked up, indifferent to the sight of the first human spectre.

"We were told to look out for you," said one of the scientists. "I'm Doctor Huang, and my associates here are Doctors Arshi and Kazi. We'll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have," he said. Dr Huang had curly dark hair, almond eyes, and a cheerful demeanor. His compatriots did not look so accommodating. Dr Arshi was a woman who looked to be in her mid-forties, with light brown shoulder length wavy hair, fair skin, and dark eyes. Dr Kazi had dark brown skin and a crew cut.

"We're looking for two volunteers that were last seen in this area. Ensigns Rodriguez and Prangley were helping in the recovery effort here, were they not?" said Shepard.

"The young biotics? Yes, they were here. I must add that they were quite a helpful pair. Unfortunately, they were rather show-offish with their biotic abilities. It made some of the patients uncomfortable," said Dr Arshi.

"That's bullshit. They were taught to only use their powers in the event of an emergency," Jack said angrily.

"You would know this how?" asked Dr Kazi.

"I had a part in training them," Jack answered sternly.

The scientists looked at each other incredulously. "You don't look like a teacher," said Dr Arshi.

"Times are changing. We don't need to be uptight elitists in cardigans." The scientists and Jack then glared at each other.

"Look, can we investigate the locker rooms by any chance? Look at security footage in case something was missed?" Shepard asked.

"Of course. We'll be happy to help, though I doubt you'll find anything useful," replied Dr Huang. He then opened a door at the end of the dugout and beckoned the pair to enter. A trio of mercenaries led them through a series of hallways into an office where security footage was held. The door was shut behind them.

Shepard sifted through the data files to find footage taken the day the students went missing. Sure enough, they were seen exiting the field 20 minutes before the assigned curfew. Before approaching the exit, two mercenaries could be seen approaching them from behind, injecting them with something, and carrying their limp bodies away.

"We've got those fuckers now!" said Jack.

Shepard turned on her omni tool to download the information. "Miranda, we've got the information we need, do you copy?"

Shepard heard Kahlee Sanders' broken voice over the link, "Shep…there…merce-"

"Shit, the others are in trouble," said Shepard. She tried opening the door, but found it to be locked from the outside. Decrypting the lock with her omni-tool would have taken too much time, so she took out her carnifex and with a few well aimed shots, the old door was opened.

The three mercenaries were standing by the door. One of them attempted to club Shepard in the face, but she raised her arms quickly enough to block the blow. The force of the hit caused her to stagger backwards. Jack took a hold of her before she fell too far back and unleashed a biotic shockwave, which caused the rest of the mercenaries to find themselves on opposite ends of the hallway.

They ran down the hallways, following the signs that would lead them to the other side of the field. As they ran, Shepard incinerated any mercenary that was in the unfortunate situation of being in their way. When they turned a corner, more mercenaries greeted them. "Fuck me, how many of these bastards are there?" Asked Jack.

"Something's definitely up. There's no reason why this place should be so heavily guarded," Shepard responded. She then peered over and aimed several shots from her carnifex into the approaching crowd. Jack covered her rear but was unable to keep the crowd at by with her biotics. Shepard counted about 11 mercenaries approaching, looked behind her, and saw Jack dealing with the same amount.

"I sure as hell won't go down without a fight," said Jack.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," responded Shepard. Her heart was racing and a part of her was upset that her last stand would be against low ranking mercenaries in a cramped hallway, in the basement of a sports arena that was over 250 years old, and housed a sports team she was not in the least bit familiar with. She has been dealt worse odds, but was running dangerously low on ammo with no hope of reloading. She could also hear Jack's breathing grow heavy as another biotic attack was unleashed in-between shotgun bursts.

Shepard unleashed an overload, which stopped three mercenaries in their tracks. She grabbed Jack by the arm, and in a desperate attempt to escape, bum-rushed down the hall. Jack unleashed another shockwave, which caused some mercenaries to slam against the walls, but as they approached the end of the hall, she felt Jack's body get heavier.

"Shepard...I'm sorry I dragged us into this," Jack said weakly.

"Don't apologize for anything yet!" Responded Shepard. She aimed several shots into the crowd before her gun overheated. She then let out sentry turret, which diminished the ranks in front of her. She turned around to see Jack on one knee, her arms raised to erect a barrier to protect them from incoming gunfire.

"Shepard...I really can't hold..."She closed her hands into fists and created a biotic explosion out of the barrier, which brought a large number of mercenaries to the ground. She then collapsed. Shepard caught her before she hit the ground.

Shepard held Jack's limp body in her arms, relieved that she was still breathing. She looked up to see herself surrounded by more mercenaries.

"Well, if it isn't the first human spectre and her tattooed lap-dog. You two put up quite the fight. It's a good thing the boss wants you and your friends alive. It's a shame, really. That alliance officer friend of yours has quite the rack...and the way her eyes flare when she's upset, it's enough to send anyone running with their tails between their legs. She isn't doing much glaring now," the mercenary said menacingly.

Shepard lay Jack on the ground and started to stand, "You bastard!" She raised her weapon, briefly forgetting the empty clip in the barrel, but before she could act, she was struck with the butt of a Mattock heavy rifle. She was brought to her knees, blood collecting on the floor.

"Oh, this old thing? I got it back. Boss said he wants you alive, but didn't say anything against payback. An eye for an eye and all that," he said. He then stood over Shepard. She wracked her brain, thinking about ways to get out of this situation. She could unleash another sentry turret, then a combat drone to distract the others, but that wouldn't work since there would be too much time in-between cooldowns. She could incinerate this asshole, then make a run for it... But that would mean leaving her squad behind and if she made it out to then open, then what?

Shepard heard the footsteps of another mercenary approach her, holding a truncheon in his hand. She then saw stars.

# # #

This chapter was particularly difficult for me to write in that there were action sequences. Ugh, they are difficult. R+R, folks! This arc will end soon, then be followed by the final arc. The end is nigh!


	9. Chapter 9

_Jane leaned against a crystallized rock formation. It was a magnificent white pillar that jutted from the ground. The spotlight refracted light through parts of it, illuminating the cavern. She let out a sigh and soaked in her serene environment. Liara was there with her, but she knew that this was just a memory and the real Liara was somewhere in space, either lost or not lost._

_"Jane."_

_"Yes?"_

_"I gave you this memory as a refuge for difficult times. I guess I was a little selfish too, in that I wanted a part of me to always be with you," said Liara._

_"This is amazing. I appreciate it."_

_"Jane, I want you to cherish this memory," Liara said, grasping Shepard's hand. "I don't want you to dwell on it too much, though," she added._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Asari give memories only to close friends and bondmates. Circumstances for doing so can vary, though sometimes, it can mean..." Liara turned away._

_Jane cupped Liara's chin, gently moving her head to face her. She closed the space between them, held her in an embrace, then kissed her deeply. After a few moments, Liara pulled away, one hand resting on Jane's nape while the other ran its fingers through her short reddish brown hair. Liara would never publicly admit it, but Jane knew her asari lover was slightly jealous of her hair, and would find any excuse to touch it. Shepard looked into Liara's piercing blue eyes and wished this moment was more than just a memory._

_"I just want you to be happy," said Liara._

_"I'm happy right here," Shepard responded._

_Liara pulled Jane closer to her and initiated another kiss, this time wrapping her arms around the human before pulling away. "I want you to be happy, with or without me."_

"_Please. Don't think like that."_

# # #

Shepard opened her eyes and felt incredibly nauseous. She was lying face-down on a cold, linoleum floor, somewhere in a dimly lit room. She attempted to get up, but her abdomen, arms, and legs felt as if they travelled through a meat tenderizer. She shifted about on her hands and knees, grasped at what she assumed was a garbage bin and vomited in it. She wiped her mouth with her sleeves, closed her eyes, and lied down on her back, her entire body sore. She felt that her armor was stripped away, along with her weapons. Oddly enough, her omni-tool was still strapped to her wrist. She made an attempt to stand, but managed a weak groan and turned on her side. She then felt a pair of hands grab her by the pits, drag her a short distance, and prop her against the wall.

"That happened to me too," a voice said. Shepard looked up to see an unkempt Kahlee Sanders kneeling over her.

"What did? Feeling like the crap was kicked right out of you?"

"Actually, the throwing up part. The beating is all you, Shepard," she answered.

Jane looked around, and as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she saw they were in a small locker room. A big red "C" was painted on a wall, while an image of a blue bear was printed on an opposite end. The two other walls were lined with lockers, two lockers on each side. Kahlee stood up and grabbed a towel hanging off one of the lockers. She went over to a nearby sink and doused the towel in water and squeezed out the excess liquid. She then knelt over Shepard and gently wiped her face. Shepard winced at the inital touch, then relaxed a little.

"My father once said that every bruise, regardless of where it came from, was not something to be ashamed of. Said it was the marks of a survivor," said Kahlee.

"Oh? What did your dad do?" asked Shepard.

"He was in the Alliance Navy. I didn't see much of him growing up, but I remember him telling me that once, on a rare occasion he was home. I arrived home from school with scuffed knees and a bruised arm. Some kids in school bullied me. I tried to hide it, but I suppose he was more perceptive than he let on. He gave me that pep talk and a few pointers in the art of school yard fighting," she said. She then tossed the soiled towel aside and dried Shepard's face with a fresh one.

"Then what happened?"

"I went to school the next day and cleaned their clocks, of course," answered Kahlee.

Shepard let out a small laugh, then groaned and clutched at her side. Kahlee eased Shepard on to her back. She unbuttoned Shepard's alliance uniform and gently lifted the gray shirt beneath. Kahlee saw Shepard's bruised and battered torso and inadvertently furrowed her brow.

Shepard stared straight up at the ceiling and asked, "How bad is it?"

"Would you like the bitter truth or an elaborate lie?" responded Kahlee.

"Surprise me."

"I reckon it's as immaculate as the day you were born," she said. She then activated her omni-tool and dispensed medigel over the wounds and bruises. Jane let out an audible sigh of relief.

"I believe you now," said Shepard. She then looked into Kahlee's eyes and somberly added, "I'm sorry about Admiral Anderson."

Kahlee pulled Shepard's shirt back down but before she could work on the uniform's buttons, Shepard gently pushed her hands away and managed to sit up on her own and close her uniform.

"David being gone isn't your fault. He was always a soldier first. I guess in another lifetime we would have worked out, but with the way things in the galaxy have been going, a happy ending for us never seemed likely," said Kahlee.

Shepard stood up, squeezed Kahlee's shoulder, and took a better look at their surroundings. The entrance to the locker room was locked from the outside. There were a few bats resting against a wall, along with a few face guards in the lockers. Shepard activated her omni-tool and saw that not only was the data was still complete, but her omni-tool was in perfect working order. She and Kahlee must not have been much of a priority.

_Where are Miranda and Jack?_

"What happened to you and Miranda on the other side?" Shepard asked, rummaging through the open lockers.

"We were ambushed and overtaken due to sheer numbers. Before we knew it, we were surrounded. The last thing I remember before blacking out was the mercs taking Ms Lawson away. Something about her being a biotic. This troubles me, Commander."

"I agree. We've got to find them. How long was I out?" Shepard asked.

"I'm not sure. I just came to when they dragged you in here, unconscious. At first I didn't recognize you. I assumed the worst and thought it was some sick mind game to lock me here with a dead body, but you were muttering something in your sleep. It's been about an hour since you were brought in," said Kahlee.

Shepard walked over to the door and saw that it had a medium encryption level, but it was nothing she couldn't undo in a few moments. "Grab whatever we can use, we're sneaking out."

# # #

Jack woke up and found herself lying in a cot in a small room. The room was painted a glaring white. There was a desk in one corner of the room and one wall had a large mirror that reflected the entire room. Jack stood up and looked around. There was a pile of papers on the desk. As Jack looked through them, she immediately felt a sense of dread and terror. These were her drawings; crude pencil and crayon sketches of her time in the Teltin facility.

She looked at herself in the mirror and her feelings of dread turned into rage.

_What the hell is going on here?_

She began to prepare a biotic charge, in the hope of busting out of the room. Her body was still glowing with biotic energy when a voice filled the room.

"It's good to see how you've turned out, Subject Zero," said the voice.

Jack was caught off-guard at the voice. She spun around, her biotics still flaring and saw the mirror was actually a large digital screen, projecting an image of Prangley and Rodriguez, walking quickly down a hall. The pair of them forced opened a door. The scene shifted to an indoor gymnasium.

Jack could see Miranda crouching behind some exercising equipment. When the door was blasted open, she stood up in a defensive stance. Words between the three were exchanged, but there was no audio coming from what she assumed was the live feed.

"You were the prize of Teltin, you know," said the voice. Jack recognized the voice; it belonged to one of the scientists that experimented on her on Pragia. Her head spun. Didn't she kill everyone when she busted out?

"I gave a lot of my life up to create the perfect set of conditions conducive to producing the most powerful biotics. All for the benefit of humanity, of course. Now that I have you, and a bank of human biotics, my work can continue," said the voice.

Her eyes focused back to the screen and saw Miranda erect a barrier. Prangley released a singularity and Miranda was suspended midair. Miranda attempted to keep her eyes onto her opponents and overloaded Prangley's shields, causing him to stagger back. Rodriguez released a warp, which caused a biotic explosion within the singularity field. Miranda was thrown backwards against the wall.

A part of Jack was proud to see her students working together to take down an enemy, but knew this battle wouldn't end well.

"Take a good look at your friend, the brown haired woman. She's quite a sight to behold. We tested her hair and sampled some of her blood. We found traces of a chemical compound fatal to humans. The fact that she is still able to use biotics to defend herself is downright thrilling. Results from this fight will be indispensable to learning more about-"

Jack didn't bother listening to the rest of his spiel. She released her pent-up biotic energy and charged out of the room. As she ran down the halls, she saw that these halls were wider than those below Wrigley field. The mercenaries were dressed differently too, though none of that really mattered. She released a shockwave, but the moment she did that, she felt a burning sensation in the back of her head. She slowed down a bit, and leaned against the wall for support.

Another group of mercenaries could be seen running down the hall towards her. She unleashed another shockwave and the mercs were pushed against the walls or fell back. The burning sensation behind her head expanded. The pain was excruciating. She fell to her knees and saw that mercenaries surrounded her again. The crowd parted and she looked up to find a middle-aged grey haired man looking down at her, arms folded, with a smug look on his face. Jack wanted nothing more than to crush him, but the harder she tried to tap into her biotics, the pain in the back of her head grew.

"As I said, Subject Zero, it's good to see how you've turned out, but I won't be making the same mistake twice."

# # #

Miranda's body slammed against a wall after she was caught in the singularity field. She struggled onto her feet to see the state of the people she was fighting. The boy was still recovering from the overload, but the girl seemed ready to attack again.

"I already told you two, I'm not with Cerberus. I don't know who sent you, but you two wouldn't want me as your enemy," said Miranda. She didn't want to cause too much harm to them and hoped they would acknowledge her threat. As she tapped into her biotics to prepare for another attack, she felt warmth emanate from the base of her spine outwards. She didn't understand where it came from, but she had other things to worry about.

"You're a goddamn liar," the girl responded. She unleashed another warp, which Miranda managed to dodge. With every step she took, Miranda felt limber; it was a strange feeling.

The boy found his bearings and let out a biotic push, which caused Miranda to stagger backwards a little. She caught herself, shifted her stance, and unleashed an unstable warp, hitting both the boy and the girl. They fell to their knees, their bodies glowing from the attack.

Miranda was gasping for air, her heart was racing, but she felt so _good_, so _energetic_. She hadn't felt this great in _years_. She balled her hands into fists, her whole body brimming with biotic energy.

The boy stood up first, his body teeming with biotic energy as well. "You don't scare us. Your people tried to take us down at Grissom academy. You think you're hot shit? You're nothing without a bunch of grunts behind you with guns," he said with confidence. He released another singularity, which caused Miranda to float again in mid-air. This time, she kept her eyes on the girl, and before she could attack, Miranda overloaded the girl's shields. The singularity dissipated and Miranda landed on her feet.

Miranda knew hurting these teenagers would be wrong, but a large part of her stopped caring. With every movement she made, she felt herself grow faster; she felt her biotics grow stronger. Barely thinking, she released a biotic slam, sending the boy flailing across the room and into a wall. He landed on the floor, groaning, his body glowing from the attack.

"Prangley!" the girl exclaimed, and ran to him.

_Prangley? Why does that name sound so familiar? _

She looked back and saw that the two teenagers couldn't possibly be a threat to her. She stormed out of the room and aimlessly ran down a series of halls. She needed to fight something, someone worth her time and effort. As she ran, she could hear doors opening. Mercenaries were firing weapons at her. She effortlessly erected barriers, preventing any of the gunfire from causing serious damage to her. She spun around, put down the barrier, and released a warp field, which bled through to two mercenaries. She continued to run, hoping for another challenge.

She turned a corner and saw a crowd of mercenaries blocking her way, rifles raised at her.

_This should be fun_

She overloaded the mercenary shields, which prevented them from shooting at her. She then released a warp, which incapacitated the remaining guards.

_Perfect_.

She felt a prickling sensation at the base of her spine, and she felt her hands starting to shake. She broke out in a cold sweat and suddenly felt queasy. He head began to ache and she took two steps backwards.

"That's quite enough from you for today," said a voice. She turned around to see a middle aged grey haired man. He had dark skin and was dressed in a scientists' uniform.

"You…" Miranda began, her head spinning, trying to gather coherent thoughts. She no longer felt spry.

In a daze, she was led to an empty room. The door slammed behind her, locked. In it, Jack sat in a corner, hugging her knees. Upon seeing Miranda, she slammed her fist into the wall.

"I thought I killed them all," she said.


	10. Chapter 10

Shepard decrypted the door's lock and it slid open. She peered over the door frame to see a guard walking away from the door, his back to them. Shepard overloaded his shields and approached him. She rendered him unconscious in a choke hold, and with Kahlee's help, dragged him into the umpire's locker room. She confiscated his weapon, an M4 Shuriken, before locking him in.

As they wandered the corridors, mindful of steering clear of anyone who remotely looked like a mercenary, Shepard noticed that the security within the hallways was not as tight or as heavy as it was when they we're overtaken. They retraced their steps back to the dugout entrance, but heard a "psst!" coming from behind them.

"Hello there, Shepard. It's good to see you causing the right kind of trouble wherever you go," whispered the voice.

Shepard spun around, "Kasumi?"

Kasumi Goto appeared, uncloaked, in a dark, hooded outfit. "That was quite a thrashing you took, Shepard. I would have helped, but," she looked over at Kahlee Sanders, then back to Shepard, "I am just one lowly tech expert," she said.

"What are you even doing here?" Shepard asked.

"Rumors of a mad scientist working out of the basement of a two hundred seventy year old athletic field? One does not ignore such improbable happenings! He's also in possession of a special type of omni-tool. I want to, uh, study it. You know, for science," she said with a shrug.

Shepard let out a small smile. "Of course you do."

"Before you bust out of here, I have some information concerning your weapons and armor. They're being held in the security room. On the plus side, a majority of the guards have left the arena," said Kasumi.

"I noticed that too. Why is that?" Kahlee asked.

"I arrived here several days ago and had the luxury of thoroughly checking the place out. Legally, this area really works as support for the surrounding hospitals, but also serves a darker purpose: patients or volunteers that happen to be biotics 'disappear,' to what I worked out is a different location," answered Kasumi.

"So this place was a trap for biotics all along," said Kahlee.

"We need to get to them as soon as we can. Kasumi, let's go."

# # #

Miranda wobbled to a corner of the room, still feeling light-headed. She felt as if the room was spinning & leaned her head against the wall. She slid down to the floor and sat across from Jack, thinking it strange that Jack was uncharacteristically subdued. In fact, many things felt strange to her. _Why the sudden burst in my biotics? _As she sat against the wall, she felt tingling sensations in the back of her head where her biotic implant was, and at the base of her spine. She chuckled a little bit, for no apparent reason.

"Somethin' funny, Cheerleader?" asked Jack.

"No, not really, but I can't help it. I feel funny. Strange. Strangely funny. It's downright uncanny," Miranda responded. Even the words coming out of her mouth didn't feel right.

Jack looked Miranda in the eyes and Miranda briefly stared back before looking away, feeling guilty. Unfortunately, Miranda could not explain these irrational feelings of guilt to herself. Jack saw the apparent confusion in Miranda's face and let out a small, crooked smile.

"That has never happened to you before, has it?" asked Jack

"What?"

"You were fighting with a ton of mercenaries and before that, my two best Grissom academy students. How'd that feel?" Jack asked, leaning forward slightly.

Miranda shut her eyes and thought for a brief moment, before opening them again, relishing in the memory of it. Little did she know, there was a tinge of red in her normally light eyes. "It felt amazing. The harder I fought, the better I felt. Like I was flying," she answered. As she spoke, her mind reeled, coming to the conclusion Jack already knew. "Oh god," she said as she briefly covered her face in her hands before rubbing her temples. She leaned further against the wall for support. She felt as if she could melt into it.

"Don't worry about it too much, princess. You'll come down in a few minutes. Or a few hours," Jack said with a shrug. "We've got bigger things to worry about anyway," she added.

"You're right. The older scientist with the grey hair-"

"I remember that bastard from all those years ago," Jack said, slamming her fist against the wall. She stood up angrily, pacing back & forth between the sides of the room.

"He has aged, now that I think about it..." Miranda said, trailing off.

"What, did you know this guy? An old Cerberus friend of yours?" Jack asked, glaring down at Miranda.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Miranda exclaimed, mustering the energy to stand up to face Jack, though still feeling light-headed. "Those Cerberus files Shepard gave you to study? You didn't think I'd just hand them over without looking through them first?"

Jack took a step back, her hands balled into fists. They began to glow with biotics, but she winced slightly and the glow disappeared.

"Besides, I was barely in my teens when you were first brought to the Teltin facility. I knew nothing of Cerberus at the time. Not until I left the Sol system, at least," said Miranda.

Jack relaxed her shoulders ever so slightly. She sat at the edge of a cot, in deep thought. "I remember seeing him. Always in the background. Never really said anything, but was usually tinkering with something on a data pad."

Miranda sat on the floor across from Jack, not quite comfortable enough to sit next to her. "If I remember the Cerberus records correctly, he was a tech expert, specializing in bio-amp technology. 'Doctor Jonas Obiakor' was listed under 'missing / presumed dead.' I wouldn't be surprised if he has changed his identity since then."

"Mother fucker. I should have made damn sure every one of those bastards were dead." In her anger she activated her biotics, then let out a groan of frustration.

"Is there something wrong, Jack?"

"They did something to me. Or to my implant I guess," she said, rubbing the nape of her neck. "My powers don't spike as high as they should and everytime I try, I get shocked. Not exactly a feeling I like. Obviously."

"So that explains a lot. He's found a way to control you, it seems," said Miranda, sounding inadvertently smug.

"What, you're enjoying this?"

"No, Jack, I'm definitely not. Honestly, I want the nightmare that is my current state of consciousness to end. We're both in trouble & we don't how bad it is out there. We're not in any position to fight properly & we still don't know what this place is even for. We're in the dark," she answered angrily, with a slight tinge of panic in her voice.

Jack took a deep breath before hopping off the cot and kneeling over Miranda. Jack hated to admit it to herself, but she felt a little sorry for her. She knew all to well what was going through the mind of the former Cerberus operative. "It's pretty fucking clear to me: this walking piece of shit scientist wants to continue the fucked up shit he did on Pragia. He's using my students, you, and any other biotic in this place as test subjects. I don't know why, but I'll figure it out once I have my hands around his throat."

Jack and Miranda heard a rumbing sound echo within the room. They felt the room vibrate for a few moments before the lights in the room shut off.

"Now we're literally in the dark," said Miranda. To Jack, it almost sounded like a joke.

"You're a goddamn riot, Lawson. You should get high more often. You're a lot more agreeable," Jack said, somewhat sarcastically.

"You're a lot more agreeable too," responded Miranda wryly.

They heard footsteps run by their door and disappear further down the hall. They forced the door open in time to see a lone guard stop in his tracks upon seeing them.

"Get back inside!" He yelled, raising his weapon at them. Miranda quickly slammed him against the wall. His body lay limp on the floor, still glowing with biotic energy from the attack.

"Do you hear that?" Miranda asked.

"What?"

Miranda heard the sound of gunfire, though it was very faint. "There's a firefight going on. This place is being attacked."

"Let's join the damn party then!" exclaimed Jack.

"That's exactly what I was thinking."

# # #

Kasumi's intel led Shepard and Kahlee to an unassuming building several city blocks away from Wrigley field. The building itself was only three stories high, though the schematics Kasumi projected from her omni-tool showed that the property extended several stories below the ground floor.

Kahlee Sanders contacted the biotic platoon stationed in the outskirts of Chicago. Most of the platoon was still necessary to help keep the peace in and around the city, but several biotic soldiers volunteered to meet them at their location. They were briefed on the situation behind meeting.

"The property is registered to a 'Doctor Jonathan Onal,' just the man I'm looking for," said Kasumi.

"**The** Jonathan Onal?" asked Kahlee, sounding a bit surprised.

"What should I know about this guy?" asked Shepard.

"All the information I have on him goes back ten years. He created this startup company specializing in designing VI interfaces in modern bio-amp technology. His company has been very successful, though, like all scientists, he prefers his privacy," answered Kasumi.

"His company is primarily responsible for the bio-amps used by all of the biotic students in Grissom Academy. Our studies have shown that these improved implants are safer to use when compared to previous generations. The interface also allows us to monitor vital signs of all the biotic students, in order to prevent over-exhaustion or other serious injuries," added Kahlee.

"This still doesn't explain the missing biotics, though I've got a hunch and it isn't good," said Shepard.

Shepard had donned her armor before leaving Wrigley field, with Jack's Geth plasma shotgun slung on her back and held Miranda's M-25 Hornet firmly in her right hand. Her Carnifex was nowhere to be found, though she assumed it was plundered by one of the mercenaries.

_I'll get it back._

"Are we ready? This won't be a walk in the park," said Shepard.

Kasumi readied her Locust, a souvenir from Donovan Hock's collection. "It can't be any more worse that working through the vents on the collector base," she answered.

"Here's the plan: Kasumi, Kahlee, and I will cut off power to the facility while the biotics division deals with as many mercenaries as possible. If the resistance here was anything like the force we faced earlier, there will be quite a bit of fighting, so be ready. Once you're all engaged, we'll infiltrate the lower levels. We stay in radio contact at all times. If worse comes to worst, which I hope won't happen, get the hell out of here and contact Alliance brass to shut this place down. Clear?"

The soldiers nodded in accordance, and Shepard and her squad made their way to the other side of the building.

"I love breaking into buildings. The adrenaline rush, the excitement, the goodies inside, and doing it all for the greater good, of course," said Kasumi as she cracked open a security panel on the side of the wall and worked on a terminal.

Shepard could hear the sounds of biotic explosions happening on the other side of the building. "You about done there, Kasumi?" asked Shepard.

"If there's one thing good about structures built in the later half of the 21st century, they are much easier to hack...there. Their power's out & won't be going back online unless, well, I make it go back," she answered.

Three security guards burst through the rear entrance & were stunned to see Commander Shepard as the source of the disturbance. Before any of them could react, Shepard overloaded their shields while Kasumi threw a flashbang grenade, incapacitating the trio.

They ran inside, Kasumi sifting through the building's blueprints on her omni-tool.

"That was quite a powerful grenade," remarked Kahlee as they ran down a stair case.

"Working on the Crucible gave me the opportunity to upgrade my arsenal," replied Kasumi.

"I knew I recognized you from somewhere," said Kahlee.

As they opened the door to a lower level, several more guards noticed their presence and fired their weapons at them. Kasumi threw another flashbang grenade, while Shepard aimed her weapon and fired. She wasn't used to the Hornet's recoil & a few of her shots missed. She released a combat drone, reloaded, the adjusted her aim and posture to compensate for the recoil. The mercenaries dropped like flies.

"Kasumi, do we know where we're going?" Shepard asked.

"According to these blueprints, we're in an area marked as 'dormitories.' If the good doctor isn't here, he'll probably be in the lower levels," she answered.

"What is this place anyway?"

"This building started off as housing for the local university. The school ended up building a separate facility closer to the main campus, and sold the property," she answered

"I guess it explains the layout," said Shepard, thinking it strange that there was both a gymnasium and dormitories.

In the distance, Shepard could hear the sounds of biotic energy being released. _There's no way the biotics team made it down here this fast…_

Shepard, Kahlee, and Kasumi turned the corner to see Ensigns Rodriguez and Prangley fighting off a slew of mercenaries, though these were not as heavily armed. Prangley's arm was in a sling, apparently broken. He held up a biotic barrier while Rodriguez pushed the mercenaries away. Shepard and Kahlee shot the remaining mercenaries down before running to the students.

"It's good to see you're both okay," said Kahlee, clearly relieved.

Prangley took down his barrier and the two students approached them. "We've got to keep on fighting, this place has been infiltrated by Cerberus," said Rodriguez.

"What makes you so sure Cerberus is involved? I personally made sure they are no more," said Shepard.

"How do you think my arm got this way? I fought off a Cerberus agent!" answered Prangley.

"Yeah, she was ruthless. Even against the two of us, she almost had us beat," said Rodriguez. "Though, you wouldn't know it to look at her. She looked more like a movie star than anything else," she added.

Shepard immediately knew who the two students from Grissom Academy were talking about, but things still did not make sense. "Look, we don't have much time. You two need to get out of here before things get worse. Ms Sanders, do you think you can get these two out of here?"

"Of course I can," she replied.

"We can't go, we can still fight!" protested Prangley.

"I'm not arguing with any of you. We came here to get you two out and to shut this place down. I know you two are excellent fighters, but you'll be much better off out there than in here," Shepard said sternly. They begrudgingly accepted Shepard's orders and followed Kahlee up the staircase.

Once they were out of sight, Shepard looked over to Kasumi. "They were obviously talking about Miranda," she said.

"Yes, but there's no way she's still with Cerberus," said Kasumi.

"And there's no way this is a Cerberus facility."

"Quite right. They never were good at hiding themselves either. I mean, all their ships and soldiers wore the Cerberus insignia. Not very incognito if you ask me."

They ran to the other side of the dormitory wing, and were greeted by several more mercenaries. Kasumi threw another flash-bang grenade before cloaking herself. Shepard released a combat drone before firing at the crowd.

"Where do you think all these people come from? They're literally throwing themselves at us," exclaimed Kasumi.

"Who knows? I guess if you're a merc there isn't much to look forward to after a war other than more fighting," answered Shepard, as she released a cryo blast and watched as the enemy slowed down before Kasumi stuck him dead while cloaked.

Suddenly, Shepard and Kasumi felt themselves knocked onto their backs by a powerful biotic push. Shepard was dazed for a few seconds. She quickly stood up and took cover around the corner. She looked around and assumed Kasumi was still cloaked since she couldn't see her anywhere.

"Do you think you got all the fuckers?" asked a familiar voice.

"Seems that way but it looks like this man was cryogenically frozen before he was killed. Someone else is responsible for this," answered another.

Shepard peered over the wall to see Miranda knelt over the body of one of the mercenaries while Jack stood over her. Kasumi appeared behind Shepard, also leaning close to the wall. "Jack and Miranda behaving like civilized human beings with each other? What is this, Bizarro World?" whispered Kasumi.

Shepard let out a smirk before slowly emerging from the corner. "Hello you two."

Jack and Miranda looked up to see Shepard approaching them. The both let out small, relieved smiles.

"Well, Shepard, you decide to infiltrate this place all by yourself?" asked Jack.

"Actually-" Shepard said, as she looked to her side to "**see"** Kasumi cloaked. "I did come here with Kahlee Sanders and some members of your biotics division. Kahlee got Prangley and Rodriguez out of here safely," she said. Jack looked relieved to here the news

"We can't get out of here just yet," said Miranda.

"Yeah. You know the asshole running this place? He was one of the sick fucks that ran experiments on Pragia," added Jack.

"Oh, but Subject Zero, without my help, you wouldn't be the powerful biotic you are now," said a voice.

From the other side of the hall emerged a dark-skinned man with graying hair. He was flanked by several well-armed mercenaries, one of which Shepard recognized as the man that "greeted" them in Wrigley field. Holstered on his hip was her Carnifex hand cannon. In his arms he held a Mattock heavy rifle.

"Fuck you!" was all Jack could respond.

"Now, that's no way to talk to the only person you can ever call a 'father.' You were certainly a daughter to me. One of many of course…but you were the only one I would ever deem a success," said the man as he activated something on his omni-tool. Jack staggered to her knees and let out a wail of pain.

Miranda set up a barrier, separating Shepard and her group from the mercenaries. "S-stay back," she said faintly.

"You won't get away with all the sick things you've done," said Shepard.

"You're deluding yourself if you think I'm afraid of a Council Spectre. The Illusive Man couldn't find me. What makes you think you can stop me?" he asked smugly.

Suddenly, a bright flash and a loud **bang** enveloped the group. The mercenaries scattered, some brought to their knees from the force of the explosion, others blindly waving their arms and firing their weapons.

"Get them!" said the doctor before falling backwards. He then let out a yelp of pain as Kasumi attacked him from behind and swiped his omni-tool from his wrist. _Not exactly my smoothest pull_, she thought.

Miranda kept her barrier up as Shepard released a combat drone. Shepard fired at bodies she could see, though she was also taken by surprise by Kasumi's attack.

Kasumi re-appeared next to Shepard with a look of satisfaction on her face. She worked through the omni-tool and her satisfaction turned to shock.

"What is it?" Shepard asked, in-between reloads of her pistol.

"This man…is a certifiable monster."

# # #

Apparently, Bioware released their version of the extended cut. I haven't gotten around to playing it yet, but I do look forward to seeing how it is. I've been avoiding internet message boards like crazy. It's been a busy month for me. R+R, guys.


	11. Chapter 11

Shepard looked over at Kasumi as she reloaded the M25 Hornet. "What are you talking about? What did you find?" she asked.

Miranda maintained the barrier that protected Shepard, Kasumi, and Jack from gunfire, though the strain from having to do so was apparent on her face.

"Too much to explain at the moment. I'll explain once these two are dealt with," Kasumi responded. She worked on the doctor's omni-tool for a few moments before saying, "Hey, Jack, Miranda. These next few minutes may be uncomfortable, but you'll thank me later."

Jack stood up and took cover around a corner. As she pressed her back against the wall, her body was jolted to the left, as if she were hit from the side. She winced in pain before activating her biotics. This time, she did not feel a neural shock and took down two additional mercenaries with a biotic shockwave. A smile crept on her face and she looked at the doctor, who was cowering behind two of his remaining mercenaries.

Miranda's body radiated with biotic energy, her fatigue gone. She waited for the mercs to reload before removing the barrier and producing, to Shepard's surprise, a singularity. The two remaining mercenaries and the doctor were left dangling aimlessly around the center of the singularity. Miranda had a confident, yet smug look on her face. "I always wanted to try that. Figured I should do so as long as I had the chance."

Shepard waited until the three dangling bodies floated close to each other before overloading their defenses. She did not want to kill the doctor, though cared less about the mercenaries. The bodies were then thrown to different sides of the hall. Shepard ran towards one of the mercenaries and brusquely removed her carnifex from his holster. She quickly aimed it at the mercenary's head. The mercenary, on his hands and knees, looked up at Shepard, the look on his face from the initial shock of the attack turned into a mixture of anger and fear.

"Give me one good reason why I should let you live," Shepard said angrily.

"I'm with the Blue Suns! If they find out you-" before he could finish, Shepard fired two shots, one in his left shoulder, the other in his right leg. The mercenary howled in pain before being left to whimper where he lay.

The other remaining guard was unconscious. Kasumi stripped him of his weapon before dismantling the gun, pocketing some of its components.

Jack threw the doctor against the wall and pinned him there with her biotics. "So, Doctor O, it seems you've made the mistake of pissing me off. Again."

The doctor tried fighting against the hold but could not move. "Don't you see what I did? I made you what you are! You should be thanking me!"

Jack increased the pressure on the doctor's throat, raising his body slightly above the floor. "Bullshit."

"Jack, put him down!" Shepard commanded.

Jack decreased the pressure, though still had the doctor pinned. "You don't understand Shepard. I remember him. He was in the Teltin facility! He was always there, watching as they conducted sick experiments!" She said angrily.

"She's right, Commander," said Miranda. "He did something to me…my biotics are working differently," she added.

Beads of sweat began forming on the doctor's forehead. "Don't you see what I did? I made you better!"

"You can lie all you want, but you probably should have password encrypted all the files and applications on your omni tool," said Kasumi. She then projected several files, presenting the group with information concerning the research done in the facility.

"Everything I've ever done for the Alliance was legal! I've done nothing wrong!"

Shepard looked over the files and saw that all the technical upgrades in the latest generation of biotic implants have been done legally. Despite this, she realized the abilities of any biotic within the range of the doctor's specialized omni-tool could be manipulated. The tool can hack into the bio-amp's VI interface and either block all usage with a neural shock, or allow users' abilities spike higher with an unusually low 4% chance of permanent brain damage.

"_The decreased probability of brain damage associated with the newer versions of the L3 implants was well worth the human cost. They'll be ready to ship to the Grissom Academy in a matter of weeks."_

"That may be the case, but all your extra tech research on the side doesn't look good to me. What exactly do you mean by 'human cost' anyway?" said Shepard.

"That doesn't matter! Look at what my firm has accomplished! If not for my research, you know the alliance would not have made it this far with our biotic soldiers! We had to conduct these experiments for the benefit of the alliance! For humanity!"

This wasn't the first time Shepard heard this excuse. She brusquely pushed Jack out of the way and landed a right hook to the doctor's head, knocking him out. Her arms shook as the Illusive Man's words rang in her head. She wanted to beat him with her bare hands. The rage was apparent in her face.

_Cerberus is more than just an organization… it is an idea, and that idea is not so easily destroyed._

Jack spat on Dr Onal's unconscious body. "I guess he couldn't really leave his work at Cerberus behind. Just set up shop under a different name."

"Yeah, it seems that way," responded Shepard. She moved to the other side of the hallway and slammed her fist against the wall. _It's like I'm fighting the same battle, over and over again._

"I wouldn't have minded sucker-punching the asshole, too," said Jack, still looking down dismissively at the doctor. "Though, if you wanted a good hit, all you had to do was ask," she added, rubbing the side of her arm.

Shepard merely grunted in response, her back to them. She ran her fingers through her hair before rubbing her temples. She deepened her breaths and slowed her breathing in an attempt to calm herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around to see Miranda, looking uncharacteristically tired and slightly unkempt.

"We're not all like that...like him, you know," whispered Miranda, releasing her grasp on Shepard's shoulder and taking a few steps back. "I'd like to think I've changed," she added.

"I know," responded Shepard. She walked over to where the doctor lay and stared at him for a few moments before calling Kahlee Sanders over her communicator.

"Kahlee, this is Shepard. I take it you got out all right?"

"Of course. All of the mercs have been subdued. Save for a few minor wounds,

the biotics company we came in with is still in top shape," she answered.

"That's good to hear," said Shepard.

"I've got other news, Commander. On the way out, we've uncovered some things that you need to see," Kahlee said, the tone of her voice growing slightly somber.

"All right. Where are you?"

"I went back to the north wing of the facility. A few of the biotics guys set up a perimeter around the place to prevent any outsiders from getting in. The Grissom academy students are helping them," she answered.

" Good. We'll be there shortly," said Shepard.

Shepard turned to Jack and asked, "You think you can keep the doctor in a stasis field?

Wouldn't want him scurrying off once he wakes up."

"Just a stasis bubble Shepard? I can do more. Hell, I can increase the pressure in the

bubble and crush his-"

"A regular stasis field will do just fine," Shepard said, before Jack could continue her descriptions.

Jack enveloped Dr Onal in a stasis bubble and the group made their way through the building. As they moved, Shepard thought about their next move. Kahlee's voice did not sound promising at all. Shepard looked over to Kasumi and asked, "Does the doctor's omni-tool shed any light on what Kahlee was talking about?"

Kasumi let out a barely audible sigh and answered, "It doesn't only 'shed light,' Shepard, it illuminates a whole damn room. I'm worried about the specifics of what we'll find. We may have much to thank the doc for in terms of advances in bio-amp tech, but I don't know if this would look good on us if word gets out."

Shepard knew full well that by "us" Kasumi meant the Alliance. Earth's (and through extension, the Citadel's) reconstruction was finally beginning to take shape and any apparent weaknesses could not only demoralize the Alliance's military and civilian workforce, but cause unnecessary divisions in the relief effort as well. "We better make sure word doesn't get out," she responded.

They made their way through the building to see Kahlee Sanders, in some sort of laboratory, standing by a row of stasis pods. Two alliance soldiers stood by the entrance and motion towards Shepard's sqaud to enter. Kahlee, who was scanning one of the pods on her omni-tool, did not see them emerge. Shepard gently tapped her on her shoulder and looked over at the row of pods that lay before her.

"Hello again, Commander. I've met the doctor on a few occasions on his trips to Grissom academy, but I never thought he could be responsible for something like this," she said. She then looked past Shepard and saw the doctor held within the stasis field, still unconscious. "He always struck me as the soft-spoken type," she added.

"Seems it's the quiet ones you have to look out for," Shepard replied, looking down at the stasis pods, all of which, Shepard assumed, contained a human body.

"Wait, Sanders, you *knew* this psycho?" Asked Jack angrily. She quickly approched Kahlee, glaring, her body glowing with biotic energy.

In her anger, the stasis field around Dr Onal disintigrated and he fell to the floor. The doctor, disoriented, muttered a few gibberish words, and moved his arms around aimlessly. Miranda quickly set up a barrier, enclosing him in a small space.

"Remember who the enemy is, Jack. Remember why we're here," said Miranda.

"Calm down, Jack. We've already got a ton of other shit to deal with and I don't want to add one of my crew to that list!" exclaimed Shepard, putting herself between Jack and Kahlee.

Jack relaxed a bit and crossed her arms. "You guys are too high-strung. Sanders here knows I wasn't gonna do anything."

Kahlee raised an eyebrow and let out a small smile. "This is how we communicate: through anger and mild amusement towards said anger."

"To answer your question, yes, I knew 'Doctor O,' a moniker he insisted we call him by. He runs one of the companies that make bio-amp prototypes we tested at Grissom. The ones produced by his company were the the most efficient," said Kahlee. "Though, the last time he visited the school was about five or six weeks before we hired you as an instructor."

Jack looked over to the barrier Miranda set up and saw the doctor sitting down, his back leaning against the barrier. He glared somewhat passively at them them, as if not sure if he were safe or in danger. "Well, he's lucky I wasn't hired sooner. I'd have killed him on the spot," said Jack.

Kahlee had enough sense to know that now was not the time to discuss Jack's past and turned to Shepard. "We've tried scanning these pods, but other than knowing that there is a human body inside, we're not getting much information. The nearby computer terminals are encrypted. I've been trying to hack it, but it will take time. Something obviously isn't right here. I've contacted Alliance regional HQ, but other than the biotics company, they can't afford to spare anymore people. Good thing we've got the first human spectre," said Kahlee.

Shepard turned to Kasumi, who was already using the doctor's (now hers) omni-tool. "Way ahead of you, Shep."

The computer terminals flickered to life and Kahlee proceeded to go through the data. The stasis pods were solid black, its surface as smooth as glass. Shepard thought they looked more like black coffins with curved edges. She pushed this thought out of her mind.

"Kasumi, is there any way you can scan the contents of these stasis pods?"

"Of course there is," she answered, continuing her tinkering.

The stasis pod closest to her flickered to life, a soft electric hum emanating from it. Half of the stasis pod's smooth black surface became clear and Shepard peered into it. She saw the head and torso of an emaciated human being in an Alliance uniform. Although his uniform was Alliance, it was an older version, at least ten years. It looked somewhat familiar to her, though she could not really pinpoint from where. As she pondered the reason behind the meaning of it, the other stasis pods whirred to life, revealing its contents.

Shepard stood up and looked through them. Each revealed a human being, seemingly close to death. Some were in Alliance uniforms, while others wore Cerberus garb. A few were dressed in civilian clothing.

"What the hell is all this?" asked Shepard, glaring over at the doctor.

"My life's work. I could never really part with all of it, you see. My work with the Alliance, then with Cerberus, and finally on my own. I spent so much time, effort, and life into it all I had to keep some sort of a memento. In this room, are the greatest experiments I have ever participated in. I even spear-headed some of them. The recent ones," he answered, with a hint of pride in his voice.

"What did you do?!" Shepard asked, trying to keep calm.

"So many great things," the doctor responded, then closed his eyes, as if relishing in the memory of his past exploits. Jane slammed her fist into Miranda's barrier, but the doctor gave no response, his eyes still closed & a small smile on his face.

"Kahlee, what have you found on the computer terminals?" Shepard asked.

"Experimental procedures, results, ideas for tech and bio-amp prototypes, and medical drugs. All very cutting edge stuff, all very much in legal gray areas. I'm pretty sure the black market on Omega, if it's still around, would want a glimpse of this. I hate to say it Commander, but this is a treasure trove of technical information for us," Kahlee responded with the calmness of a scientist.

"Kasumi, what did he do with the people in these pods?"

"Do you really want to know, Shep?" Kasumi asked, with plenty of caution in her voice.

"Of course I do! I wouldn't ask if I didn't care!" Shepard answered, sounding a little more aggressive than she had intended.

"Well," Kasumi stared slowly, speaking as if she knew she would regret it, "this man here was from a thresher maw experiment...done on Akuze. The ones next to him were from an experiment concerning resistance to neural..."

Shepard stopped listening to Kasumi and turned toward where the doctor sat. He opened his eyes and looked at Shepard calmly. "We wanted to see how Alliance soldiers would react to dangerous, never before seen stimuli. Short term and long term effects. Unfortunately for us, things went awry. You're here now, though. And I must say, Jane, watching you develop over the past several years has been an absolute thrill. You've grown into an excellent compromiser and I would like to think I had a hand in that too," the doctor said smugly, though he looked at her with some reverence.

Shepard looked over at Miranda and said, "Put down this barrier."

"Shepard, what are you-"

"Don't bother asking questions and just do it!" Shepard said angrily.

Miranda reluctantly obliged, and the biotic field surrounding the doctor faded away. The doctor stood up and slowly moved toward Shepard, the same way a parent would.

Jane unholstered her Carnifex hand cannon and shot the doctor three times, twice in his torso, which caused him to stagger backwards, his face showing a mixture of shock and anguish. Jane then delivered the final shot to his forehead. The doctor's body lay prone on the floor, a pool of blood collecting around it. "I'm through compromising," she said, her voice wavering.

Shepard put her Carnifex back on her hip and looked around. Her companions stared at her, not uttering a word.

"Kahlee, contact Alliance regional HQ and request a forensics and clean-up unit. Spectre orders," Kahlee quickly proceded to get to work.

"Kasumi, create duplicate files of whatever the hell is in that omni-tool and forward it to myself, Kahlee, and Miranda. That omni-tool is as good as yours."

"Sure thing, Shep," responded Kasumi.

"Jack, see if you can help turn this place around. With Kahlee's help, maybe Grisson Academy isn't dead," Shepard said, handing Jack her geth plasma shotgun. Jack quickly looked over her weapon before nodding at Shepard.

"Miranda, let's get the hell out of here. I want nothing more to do with this place."

# # #

Shepard and Miranda sat in the back of an Alliance shuttle which made its way back to New York and to where, Shepard hoped, they could get a decent drink (or ten).

Miranda looked over to Shepard and saw her staring vacantly out the window with clenched fists. Miranda was aware of how exhausted they both were, but after the events of the last several days, rest wouldn't come to either of them.

"Are you all right, Jane?" Miranda asked tentatively, breaking the silence between them.

Shepard looked down and her lap and relaxed her hands, rubbing her palms against the fabric of her officer's uniform. "I would be lying if I said I was," she answered.

"Do you want to talk?"

"I-," Shepard began, struggling to find the appropriate words. Miranda sat patiently and waited.

"There are times I think about it, and it feels like a dream; like a really bad nightmare. What happened on Akuze, I mean. Is that so bad?" Shepard asked.

"Whatever feelings you have are appropriate. I can't even begin to imagine what happened there," responded Miranda.

"It was so surreal. One moment we're setting up camp, and the next, the ground begins to shake and we all think it's a minor earthquake. Some guy, I can't remember his name or face, mentions something about San Fransisco, and another guy from Tokyo sympathizes.

"An instant later, the thresher maw appears out of the ground. It shoots its acid slime everywhere and some are killed instantly. The ones that aren't are howling in pain

"We all start running, shooting blindly at the thing, and it borrows and disappears. Some think that it's gone for good & relax a bit, but it rises out of the ground again and repeats the same process.

"We had several tanks equiped with heavy weapons, but those barely made a scratch. They were also grabbed, crushed, and taken underground, with marines still inside.

"At around the fourth round, I was hit by thresher maw acid. It burned straight through the armor on my legs and right into my flesh. It was so painful I passed out.

"When I came to, I could barely move. I couldn't hear anything. No screams, no earth trembling, only my breathing. I cried out as loud as I could, hoping someone to come, but nothing appeared. I screamed until my voice left me. I just lay there and waited.

"After what felt like an eternity, an Alliance dropship arrived and began taking the bodies that were left behind. I could barely speak, but I was found, and the rest is history," said Shepard, finishing her story. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, which she wiped off with her sleeve.

"I'm so sorry, Shepard," said Miranda. "I never really knew the specifics on what happened to you on Akuze. I know it isn't easy to talk about something like that."

"Not only Akuze, Miranda. Everything else is piling on," Shepard said, beginning to tremble. "I feel like I'm losing myself and I'm sapped of all energy to care."

Miranda put an arm around Shepard's shoulders and Shepard instinctively leaned in. This was the first time Miranda has seen the commander in such a vulnerable state. A year ago, her older self would have pounced at the moment to take advantage of the situation. She would have easily found a way to manipulate Shepard's emotions to her benefit.

Jane Shepard was more than just a colleague, though. She was a good friend. Miranda had developed the habit of never let people get too close. It was a part of her upbringing, observing people from a distance and learning to "read" them. Learning to "read" into their strengths and weaknesses and exploit them for her own personal gain. All a part of her father's training to make her the perfect piece of Henry Lawson's Legacy.

She wouldn't do this to Shepard. Never in a longshot. "Jane, I won't say that I know you best, but I know that you've always been a survivor. You survived Akuze, you survived getting blown out into space, survived a collector base, united a galaxy, and destroyed the greatest threat to our existence. You control you, not some deluded doctor."

Shepard looked at Miranda, straightening her posture. "I didn't really survive getting blown out into space, did I? You ressurected me, and I wouldn't exactly call that 'surviving."

Miranda let out a small smirk. "You know what I mean. Anyway, nobody's perfect. We can't always win. Or in your case, survive getting thrown out of the remains of a disintegrating ship in outer-fucking-space."

Shepard chuckled softly. "Yeah, I know what you mean." She moved away from Miranda, walked over to a small observation window, and watched the sky quickly fly past. "This past year has been a drain on me and I don't know if I can keep up...and, the Normandy..."

"Shepard, you have to focus on what's in front of you. Move forward. You've always done it and you can certainly continue to do it. The fate of the Earth isn't your responsibility. You probably can't see it now, but Earth is rebuilding. If something gets lost along the way, it isn't your fault." said Miranda. "You can't worry about the Normandy, either. It isn't your fault or your responsibility that it isn't here. I suppose you can take comfort in the fact that there isn't any *bad* news surrounding it," she added.

The Normandy was the place Shepard felt comfortable calling home. She traced ther fingertips along the grooves and ridges of the Carnifex holstered on her hip. She knew it was out there somewhere...

"Right…you're right, of course. I'm just so frustrated! I don't feel like I'm in control. I probably sound like I'm getting upset over nothing, but it's as if no matter how hard I fight, something new will pop out of the woodwork." Shepard paced back and forth within the confines of the small shuttle. "I miss…" Shepard trailed off, as if mentioning her name would bring about an unwanted torrent of emotion.

"You miss Dr. T'Soni," said Miranda bluntly. Miranda didn't intend for her tone to be stern, but once she said, "T'Soni," Shepard quickly averted her eyes.

"I met her once, before we stormed the Shadow Broker base, I mean," she said. Shepard looked at Miranda, intrigued.

"She brought your body to Cerberus, to me. Now, I'm not going to lie, Shepard, when she brought you, even I had my doubts about your survival."

"That's not the first time I heard that," said Shepard.

"That's beside the point, though. When she brought you to me, it seemed as if she had the intention of waiting at your bedside until you were completely recovered. I didn't know much about her or you, but I was aware that you were the type to command the loyalty of your subordinates. I assumed her devotion to you was an example of that type of loyalty," said Miranda. "Now I know it was more than that."

"I get it. I'm great and I should get over this rut because people love me," said Shepard sarcastically.

Miranda scoffed. "You're bloody impatient too. No, it isn't that. It isn't your ridiculous good looks, either, though you have me to thank for that, too. I'm going to tell you what I told her: focus on something you want to do. So, Jane Shepard, what do you want to do?"

Shepard thought about Miranda's words. Liara spent two years becoming one powerful information broker on Illium. With her help, she became **the** most powerful information broker in the galaxy. If the quiet scientist she met on Therum could grow into someone that could change the course of the galaxy, well, Shepard wouldn't let a potentially ruined Earth bring her down.

Shepard looked over at Miranda and let out a small smile "Truth be told, Lawson, I'd like to get smashed right about now."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "That's not the answer I was expecting."

"Well, considering how my life has been these past few years, I haven't really bothered planning ahead past the next few months," said Shepard. "Also, before we actually get any drinking done, I suggest we get the bureaucratic paperwork done with and file reports with the Alliance and the Council…before they assume we've gone MIA."

Miranda rubbed her temples and looked at Shepard incredulously. It was strange to see Shepard's mood change from dejected to content in the matter of a few moments. She guessed it had to do with not having enough time alone with her thoughts. Even though she was Shepard's XO on her time in the Normandy, she secretly hated having to write mission progress reports. "Really, Shepard? That's what you want to do?"

"Think about it this way, Miranda: drinking will be so much better with no paperwork to worry about."

# # #

"_Avernus? _What do you think Aria decided to name her nightclub this?" asked Shepard.

With work out of the way, and a decent (considering the amenities) night's rest at an Alliance base, Shepard and Miranda stood in front of Aria's nightclub where Balak's base of operations once was. There were a few people littered about, some sitting on the sidewalk, others waiting to get in. The area surrounding the nightclub was cleared of rubble, but signs of the reaper invasion was still present with the presence of nearby dilapidated buildings.

"You know her better than I do," answered Miranda.

They entered the nightclub to find it completely renovated when compared to the last time Shepard saw it. Aria made good use of the large space, and added a mezzanine level within the warehouse. The moment they stepped inside, Shepard and Miranda were greeted with dim lights and music with pounding bass.

On the ground floor was a large dance floor with two bars on opposite sides. The clientele was a mixture of human, asari, and turian. Shepard caught sight of several volus and a few quarian, but was aware that many of the council races were still getting used to the quarian's newfound social status.

On each side, not far from the bars, were the staircases that led to the mezzanine. Here, Shepard assumed, was the VIP area, since each entrance was guarded by an asari commando on one side and a turian soldier on another.

Shepard looked over to Miranda, who seemed to be on the lookout for someone. "Looking for someone in particular?" Shepard asked, raising her voice to match the loud music.

"Hmm? Just scouting the bar," Miranda answered.

"I'll leave you to it. I'm going up to see Aria."

"Sure thing, Shepard. I'll get us drinks while you're at it."

Shepard moved towards one of the staircases, only to be accosted by one of the guards.

"Hold it. No weapons allowed on the upper level," said the asari, pointing at the pistol holstered on Shepard's hip.

Shepard folded her arms. "Don't you know who I am? Even if you don't, Aria knows me. Tell her Commander Shepard finally decided to show up and add some class to this place."

The asari looked at her in disbelief. "You're not the first one to walk in here claiming that." She activated her omni-tool and scanned Shepard with it. She then quickly stepped aside and apologized. Shepard made her way up the steps and looked around. There was another bar on this upper level, though the ambiance was slightly more relaxed. There were a few tables and chairs and the people on this level consisted mostly of Alliance officers and asari commandos. Shepard found Aria seated at the far end of the mezzanine, laid back, looking rather aloof.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," said Aria, motioning to Shepard to sit next to her.

"Well, I've been busy lately. Good to see you operating in your natural environment," said Shepard.

"This is far from my 'natural environment,' but it will do for now," answered Aria calmly.

"So, _Avernus_?" Shepard asked, raising her voice slightly at the last syllable.

"Well, it sounded better than naming it _Afterlife 2_. This is hardly a sequel, Shepard. It's also the name of the city on Thessia where I'm from," she responded.

"Hold the phone, Aria T'Loak has sentimental feelings for something?"

Aria maintained her poker face, knowing that displaying any sort of emotion other than irritation, anger, rage, or indifference would be terribly out of character.

"Well, Shepard, I guess the mass relays being out of commission makes one long for places and things that are no longer easily available.'

"Sorry to hear that," Shepard said genuinely.

Aria looked at her and let out a sinister smirk. "Don't be. The town was a shit hole. I'm glad I left, but every couple hundred years or so, I think about how things are there. I guess once the Citadel is up and running, I'll fly over it and give it a few more seconds of thought before finding what's left of Omega. Then I'll be in my 'natural environment.'"

Shepard stood up. "It was good seeing you again, Aria."

Aria leaned forward in her seat. "Likewise, Shepard. By all means, drink to your heart's content."

Shepard went back to the ground floor and found Miranda at the bar, surrounded by alliance soldiers, pathetically trying to get her attention with stories of grandeur. She had a bored look on her face, which lit up when she saw Shepard. Miranda grabbed two drinks from the bar and walked over to Shepard.

"About bloody time you showed up. I was close to releasing a shockwave to get those guys away from me," she said, handing Shepard a drink.

Shepard took two long sips. "A double gin and tonic? Are you in such a rush to get me wasted, Lawson?"

Miranda grinned. "That is what you wanted, isn't it?" She then looked past Shepard and waved. Before Shepard could turn around to see, she felt two hands briskly grasp at her shoulders.

"If it isn't the queen of the girl scouts and her faithful cheerleader sidekick!" Jack then ordered two more drinks from the bar and forced one of them into Shepard's free hand.

Shepard was a bit surprised to hear Jack's voice but greeted her just as warmly. "Well good to see you too. Not off teaching the next generation the latest techniques in biotic attacking? Or poetry writing?"

Jack scoffed. "I'm leaving the curriculum design to Kahlee. She lives for that shit. For now, Lawson said you'd be here and I just couldn't pass up the chance to see you embarrass yourself on the dance floor. Again!"

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Shepard dances?"

"Yeah. Pretty fucking terribly, I should add!" answered Jack

Shepard downed her first drink and set the empty glass aside. "I didn't save the galaxy to have the two of you make fun of me. Also, what the hell? Since when were the two of you friends?"

Jack grabbed Shepard by the arm and dragged her to the dance floor. "Don't worry about it!"

Shepard shuffled from side to side in time with the music, careful to not spill her other drink. Jack quickly downed hers and swayed her hips. Shepard was glad to see Jack get over her issues with the past. The last thing she expected her to be was a teacher. Shepard smiled at the thought and finished the rest of her beverage before leaving the dance floor.

She made her way back, placed her empty glass on the bar, and looked around. Miranda was nowhere to be seen.

"You're Commander Shepard, aren't you?" asked the bartender.

"Yep, that's me," responded Shepard

The bartender placed two shot glasses on the table and poured liquor into both of them. "Do you drink whisky, Commander?" he asked.

"Of course!"

The bartender let out a small chuckle and moved one of the glasses to her. "This is on me, Commander," he said, raising the other glass. Shepard took hold of the shot glass and raised it to meet the bartender's.

"To you, Shepard," he said. They both finished their drinks in one gulp, before the bartender left to attend to other customers.

"Feeling better?"

Startled, Shepard turned around to see Miranda, looking rather chipper. "Where the heck did you come from?"

"Avoiding suitors and the like. I like to meet my men after a thorough background check and proper vetting," she answered.

"And I bet after all that, few make the cut," Shepard answered.

Miranda shrugged. "I have high standards."

Shepard turned to her, filled with liquid courage, and said, "You know, if my heart already didn't belong to someone else I'd relentlessly hit on you."

Miranda tried to suppress her laughter. "You wouldn't be the first woman to try."

"Hear me out for a moment! You're smart, you're gorgeous, and you can fight! You're well traveled. That's the ultimate package."

Miranda rolled her eyes, predicting how this conversation would end.

"Don't roll your eyes at me! Listen, you've been a great friend to me, and I've been thinking about this for quite some time," said Shepard. She took a deep breath but was cut off.

"Look, I'm not interested in you that way, Shepard."

"I'm not stupid, I know that. What I'm trying to say is that I want to nominate you as the human ambassador to the Citadel Council. I just couldn't think of a proper time to ask you."


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks for reading, guys. This season has been hectic for me and I deviated a little from the overall tone of the story at the end of the previous chapter. If the humor is unwelcome, I'll put an end to it, but I couldn't resist a drunk Shepard hitting on Miranda. I. Could. Not. Resist. Back to business!

# # #

Shepard woke up with a terrible headache and sore muscles. She turned over in her bed, not quite remembering how she got there, though not really caring at all. An information drone hovered over her body.

"Good morning, Commander Shepard! It is 0952 local time. I was programmed to wake you up once you have attained a total of 7.5 Earth hours of sleep."

_& Who had that bright idea?!_

"Is there any way to lower your volume?" Shepard asked groggily.

"If it would please you," the drone started, "I can lower the projection of my voice down to a human whisper."

"That would be utterly amazing," answered Shepard softly.

Shepard opened her eyes and looked around. She was in what seemed to be an area divided off to be a bedroom. Opposite the bed was an old-fashioned room divider. Sunlight seeped from the space between the top of the divider and the ceiling, but was not bright enough to be unpleasant. Next to the bed was a wooden bedside table that held a brass clock, which seemed to be broken since the time on it read "6:32." Also on the table was a ceramic lamp, with a design Shepard did not recognize. It had circular engravings etched on its surface. The markings looked similar to ancient asari writing Liara had shown her, back when they were still getting to know each other. Shepard let out a small smile at the memory, sat up, and swiveled her body so that her legs hung from the edge of the bed. That entire movement made her dizzy so she focused the corner of the room where her boots haphazardly lay.

What struck Shepard as strange was how old fashioned the sleeping area seemed. On the wall above the side table was a framed poster that read _1964/1965 World's Fair_ across the top with a picture of a metal represenation of the Earth. On the bottom of the poster had the caption, "Welcome to the Future!"

She stood up to get a closer look at the portrait, though she underestimated her general lack of coordination and bumped into the bedside table. The cermaic lamp and clock both fell over, landing to the floor with a loud crash. Luckily, both items stayed in one piece. Shepard cursed to herself and placed the items back on the table.

She had always enjoyed spending time alone and was generally good at sensing the presence of other people. Despite her hangover, she felt that she was not alone in the living space. Instinctively, she looked around for her weapon, though it was nowhere to be seen. She was dressed only in her Alliance slacks and the plain black t-shirt she wore under her uniform dress shirt.

She crept slowly towards the room divider. She could see a silhouette of a figure creeping across the other side of the room divider, almost mimicking her movements. Shepard pushed the divider, sending all four panels crashing down on the person on the other side.

"Fucking hell!"

Shepard immediately recognized the voice and attempted to put the room divider back to its upright position. "Shit, Miranda, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you."

Miranda slowly stood up and helped Shepard with the divider. "What the hell were you thinking?!" she asked angrily.

"Honestly, I thought you were some sort of intruder snooping around. I just woke up, I feel dizzy and a little nauseous, and I have no idea where this is," answered Shepard.

"It seems we're on the same page then," said Miranda, putting her hair up in a ponytail. "I woke up to the sound of something falling and made my way here. It's not everyday I wake up to a place that looks like the set of a period drama."

Shepard looked over at Miranda, who was also dressed in alliance trousers, though her usual form-fitting top was replaced with a plain white undershirt. On her shoulder, Shepard eyed a rather visible scar left by the batarian knife wound. Shepard quickly turned away before Miranda caught her staring.

As she looked around the room, modern items in the appartment were few and far between. The floating VI assisstant drone hovered over an office desk which held a computer terminal. Both Shepard's and Miranda's weapons and uniform tops also lay on the table. Other than that desk, everything else looked like a prop from a film.

Not far from where they stood was a wooden coffee table which had a few old books and another asari ceramic lamp. Adjacent to the coffee table was a plush sectional sofa. Miranda lazily sat down on it and shut her eyes.

On the far side of the apartment was a kitchen with a center island. There were a few pots and pans on the counter, along with several other kitchen appliances, but they all looked like relics to Shepard.

Shepard addressed the drone, "What is this place?"

The drone quickly made its way to Shepard and answered, "I am programmed to play you this message in response to any questions regarding this location!"

The drone than projected a small image of Aria T'Loak. Her voice then filled the room:

_Hello, Commander. I noticed that you don't seem to have a permanent address on your own home planet. Allow me to rectify that. Consider this your new home. I purchased the entire building and the land its built on under your name. I also purchased the property Avernus stands on in your name. We'll talk about *how* I was able to do that some other time. Obviously, non-humans are not legally allowed to own property on Earth, even with the negotiations asari high command made with the alliance. This is between us, of course...and anyone else you take with you._

As the recording played, Shepard walked over to a large window. Near the window was a sliding door that led to a balcony, but Shepard did not feel like stepping outside just yet. The view that greeted her was a nice change of scenery considering she had, up until that point, encountered crumbled buildings everywhere. She looked down on what seemed to be a very large park. It reminded her a little bit of greenery found on the Citadel presidium. What stuck out the most to her was the large metal representation of the Earth, which Shepard concluded, was the same model portrayed in her "bedroom" portrait. From her view, she saw groups of people, mostly human, lounging around the steel structure.

"What a view," Shepard whispered.

"So, that's the Unisphere we've heard so much about," said Miranda. Shepard hadn't noticed Miranda standing behind her, but remembered when the alliance soldier proudly announced the integrity of the structure to the both of them all those weeks ago.

Despite the beauty of the view Shepard still felt nauseous and thirsty. She walked over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. What she saw mostly disappointed her. The fridge was stockpiled with asari food. Although most asari food was safe for humans to eat, it wasn't particularly pleasing to Shepard's palate. It was always a range of extremes, either too spicy or very bland. She eyed one of several transparent tumblers of liquid and picked it up. The liquid was a deep blue-green color and once she opened the cover, she gave it a quick sniff. It smelled faintly of flowers, which Shepard was hoping for.

She grabbed two glasses from a nearby cabinet, and poured the beverage into both glasses. She sat down at the kitchen's center island and called over to Miranda, who sat across from her.

"What on Earth is this?" asked Miranda.

"Actually, it's from Thessia. It's an herbal blend of not-so-random asari herbs, which, when brewed into a tea, will be a cure for what ails us," answered Shepard.

"Do you know exactly what's in it?" said Miranda, looking at the contents of the glass suspiciously.

"Liara tried explaining it to me, but I was too hungover to listen," Shepard said, with hints of a smile on her face.

Miranda took a small sip, & was pleasantly surprised at its floral scent and slightly bitter, yet pleasant taste. Almost immediately, her headache was gone, and after half the glass was done, she was no longer nauseous. "I always wondered how asari recovered so quickly after long nights of drinking," she said.

"Cultural diffusion at its finest," Shepard responded, raising her glass. Miranda did the same and they both grinned.

"I thought about what you proposed to me last night," said Miranda. "Right before you started blathering about space dinosaurs," she added.

Shepard blushed, slightly embarrased at the massive amounts of verbal diarrhea she produced, a lot of it not clear in her memory. "And...?"

"You'll have to talk to Admiral Hackett first, won't you?"

"I've already sent him a private message requesting to speak to him in person, so yes, that's the plan so far."

"You're sure about this?"

"Miranda, as far as I can tell, you're the perfect candidate for the job. You have experience dealing with other races, and you always show tact. You're probably a better speaker than me," answered Shepard.

"Key word, 'probably,'" replied Miranda.

A small smile crept across Shepard's face. "You're also perceptive as fuck. Think of it this way: how many times have I faced the Citadel Council and got exactly what I wanted? Key word, 'never.'"

"And my history with Cerberus?"

"I have history with Cerberus too. Your time with them is an example of how far you'll go to fight for humanity's place in the galaxy. Your time with me shows how everyone can change. You'll still fight for us, but you're not a total pro-human nutcase."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "Thanks for that vote of confidence. You have an answer for everything, don't you?"

Shepard leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "Well, I haven't heard you say 'no' yet. Why all the questions? You're usually a lot more straight with me. In every possible sense."

Miranda let out a quick laugh. She wanted to say yes the moment Shepard brought it up at the bar last night, but was feeling hesitant. She knew she was engineered for perfection. She didn't feel she earned such a prestigious position. A part of her knew that if her father were still alive, he would take all the credit, and would've died happy knowing he left a legacy. She stared at her now empty glass in deep thought.

Shepard noticed the pensive look on Miranda's face and leaned forward. "You've earned it, Lawson. You really have."

Miranda gazed at Shepard, not really knowing how to feel. She thought that with her father dead and on a planet far away, she could finally get some goddamn closure. It obviously wasn't enough, since she couldn't say a simple "yes" to the person who was arguably her closest friend. "I've got one more question, Jane. Why not you? You've said you're not a politician, but you can easily be one. You would be brilliant"

"I..." Shepard began, trying to find the words. "I want to step out of the public eye. Take a long rest from all the attention. I won't abandon Earth's reconstruction, but I don't want to do anything too high-profile. Perhaps lead the N7 program, or take a posting somewhere on Earth as a spectre. I just want to feel normal."

Miranda understood Shepard's motivations, but didn't agree with it. Despite this, she reached across the table and took Shepard's hand. "If Admiral Hackett approves, I'll gladly accept. This means you'll be answering to me soon enough" Miranda said wryly.

Shepard grasped Miranda's hand and gave it a quick peck. "I look forward to it."

Miranda took back her hand and let out a smirk. "Oh Shepard, that's all you're getting."

"Oh, Lawson, it's all I really wanted," Shepard said with a wink.

# # #

"Are you sure about this decesion, Commander?" asked Admiral Hackett.

Shepard and Hackett were in one of Hackett's many offices around the globe. This one was the in Reykjavik, closest to where the Citadel council was based.

"Yes, sir, I do. Permission to speak freely?"

"You may."

"Sir, I don't want to make it seem as if I'm running away from my duties as an Alliance officer or a Spectre. I am more than willing to serve the Alliance and the Council, but I would appreciate staying out of the public eye. Or at least work where I won't have as much exposure as I would if I were ambassador."

Hackett had a gleam in his eyes and let out a small chuckle. "Well, Shepard, as the first human spectre and person that had an enormous influence on the current state of the galaxy, you are *in* a position of political power, whether or not you like it."

Shepard straightened her posture as she sat in her seat opposite Hackett. She expected he would not approve of her recomendation to have Miranda as ambassador.

"Neil Armstrong, Mateus Silva, Jon Grissom. I take it you know who these people were?" asked Hackett.

Shepard inadvertently scoffed. Everyone knew who they were. "The first human to step foot on our moon, the head of the excavation team that discovered the prothean ruins on Mars, and one of the first men to travel through the Charon relay," Shepard replied.

"Of course you know. Now here's another question: what did they all have in common?"

Shepard wasn't entirely sure. She knew they were looked on as either heroes or vanguards in their fields, but that answer was too obvious.

"They were all hailed as heroes on Earth, sir?" Shepard answered.

"Close. Once they were looked on as heroes, they all rejected the extra attention it brought. Armstrong became a teacher for a while. He preferred to stay out of the limelight. Silva continued with his research until he died. He was always a scientist at heart. Grissom also turned away requests for interviews from all forms of media. He lived alone on Elysium, once he was old enough to retire from the Alliance. Do you plan on following in their footsteps, Commander?"

Shepard tried studying Hackett's tone of voice. He wasn't condemning their actions, but merely stating a pattern. "I just want to do what's best for myself and for Earth. I simply don't see myself as a successful ambassador, even if I have all the political clout in the galaxy...I also don't want to leave the Spectres yet, and I will always be loyal to the Alliance."

"No one is questioning your loyalty to the alliance, even if some gossip rags do otherwise. He rubbed his chin for a few moments before looking up at Shepard. "Do you really think Miranda Lawson is good for the job? We don't really have a large pool of potential operatives to work from."

"I think she's perfect for it. I wouldn't mention her if I thought otherwise," Shepard responded.

"All right then. I'll contact the appropriate parties and fasttrack her promotion to ambassador. Since you're still a part of the Spectres, you'll be reporting to them tomorrow morning. I've read your reports on what happened in Chicago. I'm glad you've kept it within the Alliance, but I would have preferred you didn't kill the doctor," said Hackett.

Shepard briefly averted her eyes, "He didn't really provide much choice in the matter."

"That being said, our technicians and scientists have gleaned quite a bit from his research. It'll push our bio-amp technology forward, without a doubt." Admiral Hackett stood up. Shepard quickly did the same and saluted. "Dismissed, Commander. I will be in touch. You can count on that."

"Yes, sir."

# # #

Shepard exited the building, noticing how Reykjavik could very well be the presidium on the Citadel. She looked up at the sky and saw the actual Citadel, still under construction. Various ships from all the races were docked along one of its five arms, in what she assumed, were attempts at repairs. The ships, which were mostly dreadnaughts, looked like bugs compared to the sheer size of the Citadel. She had heard from various news vids that salvaged Reaper technology was actually compatible with the Citadel. Projected estimates stated that interstellar travel would be viable within a few months instead of a few years. The news greatly increased morale amongst all races.

"Enjoying the view, Commander?" asked a voice that clearly belonged to a volus. Shepard turned to see Barla Von approaching her.

"Reminds me of how small we all are in the face of the universe. We tend to forget that," said Shepard. Barla Von simply nodded at her. "Things are finally starting to look up, though. Have you heard from the Shadow Broker recently?" asked Shepard, secretly hoping for a 'yes.'

"Although I still file daily progress reports and I get the usual acknowledgement they've been read, he hasn't asked too much from me since he asked to deliver the hand cannon to you. My theory is he's using other operatives around the world to get his work done."

Shepard didn't know if this was a good or a bad thing. "Well, at least I'll always know where to find you."

"I would hope to be in my usual spot on the Citadel sooner rather than later," he answered. "If the Broker ever needs specialized help from you, I will not hesitate to contact you," he added. He then shook Shepard's hand and walked away.

Shepard walked down the street, where she was greeted by the occasional cheerful townsperson. Reykjavik was completely rebuilt, no doubt with some help from the alien races stationed there. Although architecture was still human, some buildings had swooping roofs or large arches, indicative of asari architecture.

Shepard caught Miranda sipping a cup of hot tea at a sidewalk cafe. The patrons of this cafe were mostly human, though there was a table with an asari and a quarian playing a game on their omni-tools. Shepard took a seat across from Miranda. A server approached her & she ordered a cup of tea. The server arrived a brief time later with her order and a plate of biscuits.

"It seems there are perks to being savior of the galaxy," said Miranda.

"Freebies are the highlight of my life, nowadays," Jane answered, taking a small bite out of the biscuit. "Hackett approved my suggestion," she added.

"I just received an encrypted message from him. Along with about several hundred megabytes of legal paperwork I'll need to go through. I'm starting to think you recommended me to avoid this," she said.

"Could be. But I really think you're good for it," Shepard responded earnestly.

"It's also dawned on me that I will essentially be your boss. Better enjoy your last day of freedom, Jane. Pretty soon I might have to send you to some remote desert on the other side of the planet to be a glorified ombudsman," she joked.

"Whatever, *Councilor* Lawson. I don't expect you to do me any favors. Treat me as you would any other member of the Spectres. Minus the violence, of course," said Shepard.

Miranda let out a chuckle. "I wasn't in my right mind when I attacked you. That being said, I won't be making any promises. I will head-butt you if I must. I'll make Udina seem like an adorable, docile kitten."

Shepard grinned and leaned back in her seat. "Well, Councilor, it seems you'll fit right in with the rest of the council."

"And to think I had doubts. How silly."

# # #

Shepard arrived to her "home," which was basically an observation-tower-turned-apartment in a park in an old district of Queens, New York. Why Aria chose this location still eluded Shepard. She figured she would ask her if she ever had another reason to go back to _Avernus_. She walked over to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water, and ungraciously sat down on the sofa.

She had just returned from Miranda's induction ceremony, which was very formal. It was then followed by a celebration which doubled as a mini-reunion of the old crew of the Normandy SR-2, which was anything but.

Jacob and Kasumi both followed through on their promises to buy Shepard drinks. Although they weren't on the Citadel, it was the closest they could be to it, and they celebrated as loudly as possible.

Zaeed, who Shepard thought wouldn't survive the fight with the reapers, made his way to Reykjavik. It turned out he carved out his own private residence in Rio de Janeiro. He even managed to get a small crew together, though like many other spacers, he hoped to make his way off Earth soon enough.

Jack and Kahlee both managed to make their way to Iceland, despite starting a new educational establishment for biotic and intellectually gifted youngsters. "We've got all the time in the world to make a goddamn school," was Jack's response.

Before Shepard left the revelry, she bumped into Samara, who managed to apply the justicar code to help maintain order on Earth. With some help with the alliance to help translate anything lost in the culture clash.

Shepard took a sip of water, glad that so many of her friends and colleagues survived the reaper war. She unbuttoned her officer's uniform and walked over to her computer terminal to read the local and regional news. Miranda's first official order of business was to assign Shepard jurisdiction over the northeast area of North America, along with Jondum Bau. Apparently, even with official alliance support some people, especially ones living in rural areas, resented being looked after a "condescending" Salarian.

Her assistant drone hovered over her and said "An asari representing Aria T'loak is requesting an audience with you."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "'Requesting an audience' sounds very formal."

"How would you prefer I word it?"

"How about 'set up a meeting?'"

"Acknowledged. An asari representing Aria T'loak wishes to set up a meeting with you," it said.

"When?" Shepard asked.

"Now. She is waiting at the base of the observation tower. If you agree, I can open the elevators and send her up."

Shepard found it strange. What does Aria want? She rang her up via her computer terminal. On her screen, she saw Aria looking slightly irritated.

"Yes, Shepard?" Aria asked.

"I've got an asari claiming to be sent by you at the base of this observation tower I call a house. Is there anything true to this?"

A small smirk crept across Aria's lips. "Yes, I did direct an asari to your location. It would behoove you to let her in. She's has pertinent information to give to you," she said.

"Oh? And you can't just tell me now?" Shepard asked, her suspicions growing.

"Please Shepard, I don't divulge important information over an unverified extranet line. Who knows who could be listening?" She said sarcastically. "She also has a package for you. Think of it as an additional prize for saving us all. Another gift from me to you," she added, her smirk growing.

Shepard leaned back in her seat. "Whatever you say, Aria. I'll be in touch."

"I'm sure you will."

The visible lock on her door changed from red to green and Shepard felt the floor softly vibrate as the elevator slowly made it up to her floor. She rebuttoned her uniform and refilled her glass of water, her back to the entrance. She holstered her Carnifex, making sure it was loaded, and hid it under her uniform.

She heard the door open and turned around. An asari walked in, with a covered box tucked under an arm.

"Hello, Jane," she said.

Shepard stared at the asari in complete shock. She took in her light blue skin, deep blue eyes, and freckled face. _Is it her? It is her, isn't it?_

Her hand trembled and dropped the glass, but before it hit the floor, it was suspended in midair in a biotic field before it was placed gently on the counter.

Shepard took half a step back, leaning against the counter. "Liara?" she managed to eke out, partially in disbelief.

Liara let out a small smile, with a slight look of relief on her face. "It's good to see you."


	13. Chapter 13

_It's good to see you? Is that all you can say?!_

"I've missed you, Liara," Shepard finally said, trying to keep her voice even. Jane was emotionally confused about seeing Liara in front of her. She felt absolutely ecstatic to see her again but torn and confounded towards the Normandy's disappearance. She decided restraining her emotions would be the best move forward.

Liara briefly averted her eyes before placing the covered box on the counter next to Shepard. It made a faint rattling sound when it touched the desktop. "I...I've missed you too, Jane," she said.

Shepard moved half a pace away from Liara, picking up the glass from the counter and taking a sip. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked.

"I'd like that. Tracking you down carrying this cage has worn me out," she said, a tinge of relief apparent in the tone of her voice.

Shepard poured Liara a glass of the asari herbal tea and handed it to her. "Cage?" she asked. She lifted the cover from the box on the table and let out a small smile when she saw the contents. "My space hamster!"

She opened the top of the cage and scooped the small animal into the palm of her hand. It let out a small squeak and Shepard gently pet it. "Though I guess he's a regular hamster now, isn't that right, Carl?" She gingerly placed him back into his cage and he scampered around it a few times before settling down.

"You named him 'Carl?' I'm surprised I didn't know that," said Liara, bringing the glass to her lips. "Then again, I assumed it was a female. I'm not too familiar with the types of animals humans like to have as pets," she added

"Finally! Something your intelligence network doesn't know!" Jane said, sounding more triumphant than she had intended. She wondered why Liara was behaving uncharacteristically nervous around her. There was an air of tension in the area but she couldn't quite figure out way.

Liara simply smiled before taking a sip. She was relieved that Shepard was open to making small jokes with her. "Goddess, where did you get this? I never thought I would taste this again!"

Shepard took a seat across from Liara. "Aria provided it. I can't say I know how, but she's always had her ways. If you're hungry, the fridge is stocked."

Liara looked past Shepard towards the refrigerator. "I'm fine for now. Thanks, though."

Shepard looked at Liara, studying her face. "Liara, I have to know...where did you go? I won't lie, it's been tough for me...not knowing a thing." She took Liara's hand in her's, hoping to show the asari that she was not angry at the Normandy's disappearance, at her, or the rest of the ship's crew. There must have been a good reason for whatever happened.

Liara took her hand back and fidgeted with the now empty glass in front of her. "I'm so sorry Jane. We didn't...I didn't...have enough faith in you," she said, her voice breaking up.

"What do you mean?" Shepard took a seat next to Liara and put an arm over her shoulders.

"Please, understand," she said, a tear running down here face. "We were desperately afraid. We had heard reports the attacking party was routed. You ran so far ahead that Ashley and Garrus lost sight of you. Jeff was able to bring the Normandy close enough to get to them to relative safety, but that wasn't saying much considering the circumstances at the time.

"The beam to the Citadel was still surrounded by reaper forces. We had assumed you and the team were…" Liara trailed off.

"You thought I was killed," Jane said, her voice deepening. She ran her fingers through her hair and walked towards the window, staring out at the sky.

"Yes, I did. We all did….but us leaving Earth. It was my idea," she said, her hands clenched into fists, her body trembling slightly. Every part of Liara wished she could have turned back time and resisted the urge to leave. In her mind, she abandoned the person she had fallen in love with.

Jane looked at Liara quizzically. "What do you mean *your* idea?" she asked, trying to keep the tone of her voice in-check. She leaned against the glass and crossed her arms _I almost went mad wondering where you were!_

"Do you remember the black box I showed you? It had the schematics to the crucible in addition to the story of this cycle...and...your story," she said, looking up at Shepard, almost imploringly.

"Of course I remember," Jane answered.

"I had made multiple black boxes and scattered them across planets we've landed on or scoured for resources. There was one planet I had been eyeing. It was perfectly suited to sustain carbon based life-forms and my studies have shown evidence of primitive forms of beings with the capacity of higher order thinking on the planet. The Reapers left it alone, considering there were no colonies on it. The planet was a perfect candidate to place my final time capsule.

"I thought you were dead and... I lost all hope of getting through this war. All of us on the Normandy were crushed," she said.

"So you fled? You decided to jump to this new system to plant this last time capsule?" Shepard asked, still keeping her voice even.

"You didn't see what we saw! So many ships in Earth's orbit were being swatted like small insects. It was a massacre, Shepard," she said, her voice wavering.

"But I did see. I made it to the Crucible...and...it did look hopeless," Shepard responded. She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, in deep thought.

Liara felt absolutely miserable. She had thought about how Shepard would respond and feared the reprocussions of her actions. "We didn't know you made it through, Jane. Had I known, I never would have left the system. I just..." she paused.

Jane Shepard stared at her, not quite angry, but not pleased at this new turn of events. She stood over Liara, squeezed her shoulder and waited for her to complete her thought.

Liara jerked at the unexpected physical contact. "I thought this was the only way we could save the last of this cycle...for the future generations," she finally said, before slamming a fist on the table. "I feel so foolish."

"Is that all that happened?" Shepard asked, reclaiming the seat next to the asari.

"No, of course not..." She looked at Jane, turning her torso to face her. "There's much you need to see," she said.

Liara took Jane's hand in hers. "Will you let me show you?" she asked.

Shepard stood up from the stool, pulled Liara close to her, and held her in an embrace. "If that's what you want, my mind is all yours," she answered softly.

Liara let out a small smile and pulled away, closing her eyes. She opened them again, revealing two dark, glassy pools. She rested her hands on Shepard's shoulders and stared directly into the human's eyes.

Shepard closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind was immediately filled with images of the Normandy narrowly escaping the Crucible's energy beam. Shepard was briefly taken aback, given the amount of time that passed since an asari shared thoughts with her.

She then saw images of the Normandy landing in what looked like a tropical jungle, and the crew scrambling to make repairs. Liara, disembarking with Joker and Garrus, proceeded to bury the black box. The Normandy had been through so much. Shepard was relieved to see the damage was minor and was repaired in a short amount of time.

The scene shifted to Liara working in her quarters on the Normandy, attempting to repair several damaged computer terminals. Specialist Samantha Traynor stood by the doorway, offering assistance.

"It took some time for me to figure out, but I know who you are, doctor. I know I can be of great assistance to you, if you'll let me," she said.

Liara agreed under the condition that Traynor be discreet about her work and the two started work on repairing what little resources the Shadow Broker had left.

The scene shifted again to the mess hall, where Liara sat, eating by herself. A member of the Normandy crew, Private Westmoreland, approached Liara from behind with her weapon raised. Westmoreland fire three quick shots, all of which were stopped by Liara's biotic barrier. The bullets hung in mid-air as Liara stood up to face her.

"Please lower your weapon," Liara said calmly.

Private Westmoreland took two steps back. "It's your fault we're all here! Stranded!"

"We are not stranded. It will just take a little longer to get back to Earth," answered Liara.

Ashley Williams and Garrus Vakarian stormed into the mess hall after hearing the gunfire. The other War Room guard, Private Campbell entered from the elevators and looked on nervously.

"What the hell is going on here? Put the gun down, private," Ashley said sternly.

"Lieutenant Commander...if we hadn't listened to this damned asari, we'd still be on Earth!" She said, her arms shaking.

Ashley slowly approached her from the front as Garrus quietly walked around to sneak up on Westmoreland from behind. Ashley gave Garrus a quick approving look, then focused her gaze on Westmoreland

"I know you're upset. We all are, but attack a member of the crew? What will that get you? We're still on this ship, and the only way out is the airlock."

"'A member of the crew?' You're calling the Commander's asari whore a member of the crew?!" exclaimed Westmoreland, the anger in her voice rising. Her face became a slight shade of red. Ashley took a quick glance at Liara, who was unfazed by the slur. She was well-aware of the view many humans had of asari.

"Hey, Beth...calm down. Lieutenant Commander Williams is right. Think about it for a minute," said Campbell in calm, yet slightly worried voice.

"Oh, I've thought about it, Sarah! The airlock isn't the only way out of this ship," she said, her arms shaking. Her armed hand moved to her head.

As she did this, Ashley dove towards her and they fought. Ashley disarmed her and moved the fight towards where Garrus stood ready. Garrus held Westmoreland firmly. Westmoreland struggled against his grip to no avail. "My great uncle fought in the first contact war! He hasn't been the same since." Garrus merely grunted in response.

"Private Campbell, get Dr Chakwas. We need her sedated," ordered Ashley.

Campbell rushed to the infirmary & quickly emerged with Dr Chakwas in tow. She held a syringe in hand and carefully approached Westmoreland.

"Stay away from me!" she exclaimed as she struggled in Garrus' firm grasp.

"This will only take a moment," said Chakwas calmly, as she pressed the syringe into Westmoreland's arm. The War Room guard fell limp in Garrus' arms. With one deft move, he slung her over his shoulders and took her to the infirmary.

A small crowd had gathered in the mess and Ashley had to command them to leave. Private Campbell followed Garrus into the infirmary to look after her friend. Once the crowd dispersed, Garrus emerged from the infirmary.

"If I had five credits for every human that's brought up the First Contact War to me...well, let's just say I'd probably have enough money to get a brand new, fully upgraded Black Widow. Not that I've ever been given credits for such comments...which is a damn shame," he said, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Liara leaned against the mess table and dropped her biotic field. The bullets fell to the floor with a sound that echoed throughout the hall. "Well, I suppose I can say the same about humans and their ideas on alleged asari promiscuity."

"I hate to break up this bonding moment for the two of you, but we need to talk about what just happened," said Ashley, crossing her arms. Her hair was tied in a bun. She believed with running the rest of the Normandy in Shepard's absence, the last thing she should worry about is how her hair looked.

"Of course, Ms Williams," said Liara.

"It would be best if you stayed in your quarters, Doctor. If we're to believe your estimations, it'll take at least two months until we make it back to the Sol system. We're rationing out supplies and salvaging whatever space junk we find floating around. The crew is already high-strung. I think they'll be better off if you're out of sight," Ashley said calmly.

"With all due respect, Ms Williams-" started Liara.

Ashley let out an audible sigh and made an effort to make her eyeroll extra dramatic.

"-although I spend a large amount of time in my quarters as it is, I doubt staying out of sight will have any effect on morale."

"You do spend a lot of time in your quarters. As a result, you *don't* realize how much the support staff resents being here. We're getting some information about what's happening on Earth from Specialist Traynor, but it's barely enough to keep the crew going," Ashley responded.

Ashley's words stung. Liara crossed her arms. "All right, Ashley. If you think it will help things, I'll have no problem keeping to myself. I should add that should a situation like this arise, I will not hesitate to defend myself."

Ashley simply nodded in response and left the mess. Once she was out of earshot Garrus walked closer to Liara.

"Just between the both of us, if you ever want to talk you know I'm right down the hall," he said in his soft gravelly voice.

"Thanks, Garrus, but I'm fine."

"Or you know, we can talk through secure channel. As the humans say, _whatever floats your boat._"

The scene shifted yet again, back to Liara in her quarters, working steadily on her computer terminals. Her reach in communicating as the Shadow Broker was not as good as before the Reapers attacked. She only had a few direct links to some assets and only a fraction of assets were able to consistently communicate back to her. The entrance to her chambers beeped, in response to someone standing near the doorway. She looked over to her personal surveillance feed, saw it was Samantha Traynor, and opened the door.

As the scene unfolded in Shepard's mind, she felt an intense feeling of loneliness and isolation.

"Here to collect any updates from Earth?" asked Liara.

"Earth, or any other colony that's broadcasting. Visiting you literally is the only highlight of my schedule," answered Traynor.

"I've forgotten how much space there is in space, which sounds ridiculous, I suppose. We really are alone out here…" she added, trailing off.

Liara was always used to working alone and spending time by herself. This situation felt different; being out of contact with a support team or a homebase in a different planetary system was downright terrifying. "There's been little to no broadcast coming in from any major colony, Alliance or otherwise. Any messages I'm receiving is static. I've been listening in on communications feeds from the handful of contacts I have left. I've already uploaded pertinent information on Earth's relief effort onto you PDA."

"Great, I'll look through it right away," she said, turning on her tablet.

"I also have another thing I want to tell you. I've already put it on your PDA, but its also something that I need to say face to face with another person," said Liara.

"Oh? And what is it?"

"Shepard's alive. Up until now, I've heard nothing but unconfirmed rumors, but I have a reliable source that tells me she's in a medically induced coma due to the injuries she sustained on the Crucible. Only a few people are allowed direct access to her," she said somberly.

"That's fantastic! I'd assume you'd be a lot more happy considering the news," said Traynor.

"I am relieved, more than you can imagine...but also frustrated. I shouldn't dwell too much on the past, but knowing this just proves I was wrong all along. I should have believed she would come back..." A tear ran down her face, which she quickly wiped away.

"No use crying over spilled milk, as my parents used to say," said Traynor reassuringly.

The phrase did not comfort Liara in the least bit, but she appreciated the sentiment. She turned her back to Traynor and faced the series of terminal monitors. "You humans have very interesting sayings. There's always something new," she said.

Traynor raised an eyebrow. "Don't the asari have their own idiomatic expressions?"

"...they don't translate well. Either way, you're right. I have to move on. I intend to help Shepard in any way I can," said Liara, rubbing her eyes from staring at computer screens all day.

Traynor gave Liara's shoulder a quick squeeze before heading out. She turned and looked over to Liara with a warm smile

"If you have the time in the near future, Doctor, I'd like to play a game of chess with you. I've played with most of the navigation and engineering crews & they want nothing to do with me," she said.

Liara looked to her series of computer screens, then back at Traynor. "Am I last resort in your chess opponents pool?"

"Of course not. You strike me as a challenge," she responded.

The scene shifted yet again, this time to the engineering deck of the Normandy. Liara and Traynor sat across each other. Between them, a storage crate-turned-table held a holo-vid chess set. Engineer Adams, Tali, Javik, and Garrus surrounded the pair, watching the game in rapt attention.

"A stalemate. I can't believe this. Are you sure this is your first time playing?" Traynor asked, a look of genuine shock on her face.

"Well, I took some time studying the rules prior to this game, and I practiced by playing a few games with a computer program...but this was my first time with an actual person," Liara answered.

"Good game, Doctor! I didn't hear the end of it from Gabrielle and Kenneth when I lost," said Engineer Adams.

"We still love you anyway!" yelled Kenneth from across the room.

"Best two out of three, T'soni?" Asked Traynor.

"Sure. If you wish to endure the same psychological trauma again, I'm open to playing once more," she responded, with a hint of playfulness in her expression.

Traynor raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Is that a taunt doctor?" she asked sarcastically.

"Of course it was a taunt, *Specialist* Samantha Traynor. It was so apparent; I see no reason as to why that was asked in the first place," said Javik harshly. Everyone stared at the prothean intently. Javik cleared his throat and added, "I enjoy watching this game and prefer it if you two were to start immediately."

"All right then," said Liara. "Best two out of three."

The scene shifted yet again. This time Shepard saw Liara, Tali, Samantha, and Ashley in the dimly lit war room. Tali and Samantha were tinkering with the comm terminal, as Liara worked on her omni-tool and Ashley looked on.

"Are you sure this will work, Specialist?" asked Ashley.

"Actually, I'll have to share credit with Doctor T'soni. We're basing this work on her calculations," answered Traynor.

Ashley turned to the asari. "Well, is this going to work, Liara?"

"I'm confident that it will. It is only now we're actually in the range of the Alliance's short-range communications systems. We're days away from the Charon relay. It would have taken too much of the Normandy's resources if we were constantly broadcasting, but we're close enough now. This would best time to see if we can get any actual chatter," she answered.

"Let's hope so," Ashley responded.

The War Room then brightened up as more comm terminals went back to life.

"We should restrict out outgoing broadcasts to Alliance channels only," said Ashley.

"And why is that?" Asked Tali with a tinge of anger in her voice.

"We don't know who or what is wandering around. The Normandy has a damn good stealth system, but a big enough mercenary ship can out gun us, especially with the limited resources we have left," answered Ashley.

"How about we broaden our broadcast scope to include quarian ships as well? Our fleet can easily give the Normandy what she needs," said Tali.

Ashley rubbed her temples. "I don't want to. We're an Alliance ship approaching Alliance space. If we're going to have contact with another vessel for the first time in months, you damn well bet I want it to be Alliance."

Tali cursed in her language and began to make her way out of the War Room. Before going, Ashley grasped her arm.

"Look, Tali. I'm sorry. That came out harsher than I wanted. Here's what we'll do: if we reach the Charon relay and still hear nothing on Alliance channels, I'll broaden our scope," she said.

Tali took her arm back. "Fine. Whatever. I'll be in the main battery," she said.

"Long range comm systems are now online. I'm not receiving anything quite yet," said Traynor.

"It will take time. Before we jumped out of the Sol system, we saw how poorly our side was faring against the reapers. It's safe to assume the Alliance fleet isn't what it once was. Still, I'm sure we'll find something meaningful soon enough," answered Liara.

"All right. I'll leave the pair of you to it. In the meantime, contact me on my omni-tool if anything comes up, patch it through directly to me. Chances are all be in my quarters or shooting the bull with Joker," said Ashley.

"Understood," answered Traynor.

Liara simply nodded towards Ashley before working on a computer terminal several feet away from Traynor. "'Shooting the bull.' I don't believe I've heard that phrase before," she said.

"It means carrying on idle conversation. Talking for the sake of wasting time, I suppose," answered Traynor.

"Hm. I can't say I can infer that meaning to the image I have in my mind of 'shooting bulls,' and this is assuming the bulls on Earth look anything like bulls found on Thessia," answered Liara as she adjusted the sending and receiving frequencies the Normandy was producing. _That ship has to be out there somewhere..._

Samantha let out a chuckle. "And how do bulls on Thessia look?"

"They fly at high speeds," answered Liara, still not looking up from her computer terminal.

Samantha lost her train of thought for a moment, trying to imagine a flying high-speed bull, when she noticed an odd display appear on her screen. "Doctor, did you do something? I'm seeing the Normandy broadcasting in signals I'm not familiar with." She attempted to revert the outgoing transmissions back to the way it was originally set, but saw that she was locked out. She looked suspisciously at Liara.

"I did, but for good reason," answered Liara.

"I'd like an explanation, or I'll have to redirect this all to Lieutenant-Commander Williams," she said.

"Threats aren't necessary, Specialist. If anything, Ashley should know about this once the time is right," said Liara, shifting her stance to face Traynor. "Besides, I know you wouldn't do such a thing. If you really wanted to harm me, you'd have exposed my whole intelligence operation when you first discovered it."

"You…have a point. I still believe I have a right to know. I stood up for you when many of the other Alliance soldiers did not," said Samantha

"All right then. I discovered several encrypted Alliance transmissions. As you know, the council races along with the quarian are attempting to retro-fit their remaining ships with reaper technology. I have it on good information that the Alliance has successfully incorporated reaper tech into an Alliance ship, although they want to keep it secret" answered Liara.

"Why didn't you say this before? Knowing would have boosted the ship's morale!"

"Because I didn't know this before. My contact in the alliance's R&D department recently leaked this information. You humans managed to beat the asari in pushing forward inter-stellar space flight as we know it." _For now..._

"The alliance decided to test the SSV London in deep space. I convinced my contact to use her influence within the Alliance military to test the ship's performance several hundred light years away from the Charon relay. That would put them within range of our signals," said Liara.

"The SSV London? I'm impressed. That ship is almost 20 years old," said Samantha, clearly in awe of humanity's ingenuity.

"It's not as if the alliance had any starship-building factories available to them," responded Liara. "This test-run isn't known by anyone outside of Alliance military so they're broadcasting on channels unknown to the rest of council space, aside from a select few on Earth...and now, us."

"Samantha, once we start receiving broadcasts from the SSV London, I want you to take all the credit for discovering the ship. As far as the London's captain is concerned, this is all a happy coincidence. As for Ashley and the Normandy, you're just doing your job," said Liara sternly.

Traynor immediately understood. "It doesn't feel right, though. You've worked so hard," she said.

Liara let out a small sigh. "At this point, it doesn't matter. If you need me, I'll be in my quarters." She activated her omni-tool. "I've allowed you access to the terminal again. I wouldn't change any settings, though you're more than welcome to study the signals," she added.

Liara turned to leave the war room, but felt a hand reach out to grasp her wrist. She looked carefully at Traynor, not expecting this physical contact.

"Dr T'soni..."

"Is there anything else you need from me?" asked Liara.

Samantha let go of Liara's wrist. "I just want to say...had circumstances been different, I believe we would have made a great team."

Liara paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "I greatly respect you, Specialist, and I'm inclined to agree with you. That being said, I think our relationship works best on a friendly, professional level," answered Liara

Samantha let out a wry grin. "I suppose a part of me expected as much. I don't think I could have lived with myself if I didn't at least say something to you."

Liara reciprocated the grin. "Well, this won't be the last you'll hear from me."

"I'd imagine so, Shadow Broker."

The scene shifted again - this time, Shepard saw Liara in an observation deck of a ship that wasn't the Normandy. Liara stood alone, her forehead leaning against the glass of the observation deck's window. Within her field of vision was the Normandy, docked. The sound of a door opening could be heard. Liara turned around to see Garrus. He held two different drinks in his hand, one blue and one golden brown.

"So here you are, Liara. Figured I'd bring you a drink," said Garrus, handing her the golden brown drink.

"That's nice of you, Garrus. This really wasn't necessary," said Liara, staring absentmindedly at the glass in her hands.

"The whole Normandy and _London_ is celebrating and Samantha Traynor is at the center of it all. She's a hero. Without a doubt it'll be her living off the royalties off the vids based on her life...remind me to befriend her before the celebration's through," he said with a chuckle.

Liara let out a small smile. "Well, she is a very intelligent woman and is well-deserving of any accolades."

"Be as coy as you want, but I'm here to have a drink with you and thank you for getting us out of this mess," said Garrus, raising his glass. "...Even if it was you who got us into this mess in the first place. A weaker person could have taken the easy way out," he added.

"You're a good friend, Garrus. I'll drink to you...maybe some film maker will want to make a movie out of your life. You, Shepard, and explosions. Sounds like a potential hit." answered Liara, raising her glass to meet his.

Garrus downed his drink in two consecutive gulps while half still remained in Liara's glass. Her face turned a slightly deeper shade of blue and let out a smile. "Shepard loves her whisky, though I'm still learning to acquire the taste. If she were here, she'd probably say something about oak, hints of smoke, or some such nonsense," she said between chuckles. She then downed the rest of her drink and looked pensively at the Normandy.

"I miss her too, Liara. We'll make it back to Earth soon enough, and spirits willing, we'll find ourselves where we should rightfully be," he said.

"I hope you're right, Garrus"

The scene faded away and Shepard felt as if she was being pulled off balance, as if yanked by the collar of her clothing. She opened her eyes to see Liara staring at her apprehensively. Shepard took two tentative steps backward, feeling a little dizzy. For safety, she unholstered her weapon and placed it on the counter and looked over to the asari.

"You were armed the whole time?" Liara asked nervously.

"I was, but only because I wasn't sure who you were. A 'messenger' from Aria T'Loak could have been anyone….and it's unfortunate I don't have a view of the entrance from up here…." Shepard answered. She twirled her index finger in the air, referring to the apartment. "It would also be pretty ironic if I shot you with the weapon you gave me," she added.

Liara averted her eyes. "I suppose I deserve it."

Shepard took two steps forward, took Liara by the waist and held her firmly in an embrace. "Stop beating yourself up, T'soni," she said, leaning close. "I forgive you," she added softly, whispering it into Liara's ear.

Shepard then tilted her head and leaned in for a kiss. She took the asari's hand and gave it a quick squeeze. She then felt Liara smile against her lips before pulling away. Liara rested her free hand on Shepard's shoulder.

"I'm relieved. I almost couldn't bring myself to face you," said Liara, her free hand moving to dust off the spectre's shoulders, smoothing out any wrinkles on the uniform. "...but you have a right to know," she added.

"I appreciate you opening up to me. I imagine it couldn't have been easy," said Shepard, a smile slowly forming on her lips. "What with all moves Samantha Traynor was putting on you," she added.

Liara let out a small chuckle. "Though I do believe she and I could have made a formidable team, there is no way she could ever compete with you," she said, pulling Shepard's face to hers for another kiss, this one more passionate than the first. Shepard felt hands attempt to unhook the clasps on her uniform's jacket. Shepard took a step back and undid the clasps herself.

"In a rush, are we?" she asked playfully, tossing the jacket off to the side. She then moved forward and traced her fingertips around Liara's jawline.

"Can you blame me?" she answered, taking Jane's hand and kissing it. She quickly snaked an arm around Shepard's waist, pulling the human closer to her. Even through her layers of clothing, Liara could feel Shepard's body heat. She slowly leaned in and paused for a moment, staring into Shepard's eyes.

"Shall we make ourselves comfortable? Preferably on your bed?" asked Liara, running her fingers through Shepard's hair, still staring at the human's dark green eyes. She enjoyed the feeling it gave the palms of her hands.

Shepard pressed her body closer to the asari's, her eyes staring back at the blue orbs that looked at her suggestively. "Do you really need to ask?" she replied with a smirk, leading the way.

# # #

Shepard opened her eyes, feeling energized. She knew she had been dreaming, but couldn't exactly remember what. She turned over to her side and saw the other side of the bed was unoccupied.

"Liara?" she called out, putting on a shirt and a pair of shorts that lay on the bedside table.

"I'm here, Jane," answered a voice that sounded as if it originated from across the room.

Shepard walked over to the living room and saw Liara, sitting cross-legged on the floor, working on the information drone with her omni-tool. Cables and wires hung from the ceilings and walls, all leading to the computer terminal on the far side of the room.

"What are you doing?" Shepard asked, staring at the scene that stood before her.

"I've spent the last few hours upgrading this ancient security system. How are you feeling?" she answered, not looking up.

Shepard sat down next to Liara, activating her omni-tool to scan the state of things in her apartment. "I'm feeling good, actually," she said as she straightened her posture. She saw that Liara had connected surveillance feeds from the entrance and roof to the information drone and computer terminal. At least Shepard would finally be aware of her building's surroundings.

"I'm glad. I know things haven't been easy on you. I only wish that I was here to support you better," said Liara, shifting her gaze to Shepard.

Shepard let out a small smile and said, "Well, you're here now. That's more than a good start."

Liara continued her work on the information drone. "I tried to help you as best as I could from the _Normandy_."

"Yeah, I nearly had a heart attack when Barla Von handed gave the sidearm to me. You know me too well," Shepard said lightheartedly, giving Liara a quick peck on the cheek.

Liara's face brightened and she let out a smile. She activated the information drone and watched as it floated benignly around the room. "The hand canon was the least I could do. I also…" she trailed off, as if in thought.

"You also 'what?'" Shepard asked, standing up to get a glass of water. Liara followed her to the kitchen area.

"You're an exceptional soldier, and a brilliant engineer. You've done many great things. Goddess, Jane, you've saved us all," she said.

Shepard crossed her arms and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Yeah, but I couldn't have done any of those things alone."

"You're dependable when you're on your own, but with the right team, you're practically unstoppable," said Liara. She briefly rubbed her hands together. "I also was able to track down the rest of the original _Normandy SR-2_ crew… the ones that were most fit for duty, anyway. I tried to rally them to you, though not directly. I didn't want you to be alone."

Shepard raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, what did you do?"

"I planted a few suggestions here and there, though I assumed that most of your former crewmates would be either too busy, find my tips a little vague, or not find these 'suggestions' appealing enough. Not counting Miranda Lawson, who was already recruited by Admiral Hackett, I've sent anonymous tips to Justicar Samara, that mercenary Zaeed Massani, and the thief, Kasumi Goto.

"Through the information feeds, I realized that Jack was in distress and getting nowhere with the Alliance bureaucracy. Ms Lawson's personal contact information with the Alliance isn't well known, but a push in the right direction was more than enough for Jack to reach the pair of you. I hadn't realized Jack's problem was far more sinister than initially known until I read your mission reports and looked at the doctor's surveillance footage. I find myself having to apologize again…"

Shepard rubbed her temples. "I…appreciate all you've done, and I love you. I'm also afraid you've spent way too much time in front of a computer screen, analyzing data feeds." She took Liara's hand, "Let's get out of here; take a nice walk somewhere."

# # #

Shepard and Liara found themselves standing before the Unisphere, a stainless steel representation of the Earth, which stood several stories high. There were a few people scattered about, most sitting on park benches, many looking warily at the lone asari walking around with a hooded human.

"I always wondered what this was. An alliance soldier mentioned it to Miranda and me when we first arrived here. I guess I'm glad it's still around," said Shepard, kneeling down to read an old plaque. She wiped off excess grime from the plaque with her sweater sleeve. _"Dedicated to man's aspirations toward Peace through mutual understanding and symbolizing his achievements in an expanding universe_," she read, looking up to Liara, who stood over her.

"If I may be so bold as to suggest the Alliance modify this to include you somewhere in this structure…and alter the language so that half the population isn't left out in humanity's 'achievements,'" said Liara, squeezing Shepard's shoulder.

Shepard let out a loud laugh, pulling Liara down to her level and giving her a kiss. The laugh echoed throughout the park, which caused a few of the others lounging around to stare at the couple. "I'm not dead yet, darling. It would be too soon...also, this damn thing was built in 1964, over 220 years ago. Humanity didn't eve reach Luna at that time, and back then, people once referred to all of humanity as 'man,' which I guess is ridiculous..." said Shepard, trailing off to stare at the structure.

"In less than an asari lifetime, your people have mastered space flight. To call your kind ambitious would be an understatement," said Liara, wrapping an arm around Shepard. In return, Shepard rested her head on Liara's shoulders, silent.

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's presence. Liara then felt Shepard's shoulders tremble. She moved her head to get a better look at Shepard's face and saw tears running down her face.

"Jane, what's wrong?" asked Liara.

Shepard wiped her eyes with her other sleeve, and leaned away from Liara. "Looking at this…how people back then must have looked up at the sky and wondered how things were like, or could have been like," she answered.

Liara stood up. "I don't understand."

Shepard looked up at her and let out a small smile, "I doubt anyone back then could have predicted aliens on Earth. Imagine what they'd think. An advanced race of beautiful blue aliens allying themselves with us. Standing here, in one of the two countries that first pioneered spaceflight. They wouldn't believe it unless they saw it with their own eyes."

"I'm doing a bad job of explaining, but I feel…I feel that sense of wonder is gone…and I miss it. I miss the hopeful feeling I had when I enlisted. I miss the freedom traveling around the galaxy gave me. I've fought non-stop for the past three years for the Alliance and the Council. I don't regret any of it, and I will continue to do what I must…but…I'm just so tired. I'm only 33 years old and I feel ancient."

"I remember when I was 33. I was still in school, wondering about what my concentration should be" said Liara, jokingly. "Still, if you miss it so much, I think I can help you. I can take you to the _Normandy_."


	14. Chapter 14

"I...I'd like that. But I find it odd that news of the _Normandy_ being found hasn't spread around the news networks," said Shepard.

"Well, when we arrived on Earth, the Alliance deemed it necessary to dock the Normandy and the ship with integrated Reaper technology in an area with a lot of space and very few people," answered Liara.

"That isn't very clear. Most large cities had up to 80% of their populations killed. Smaller towns and rural areas didn't fare that much better," said Shepard.

"It's not on Earth, Jane. The two top ships in the Alliance fleet are on Mars. The Alliance found a way to disguise them by way of adjusting their hailing frequency. I know human engineers are going to integrate reaper technology into the _Normandy_, and if the Alliance cruiser is any indication, all of the changes are in the engine room and helm. I hate to admit it, but humanity is gaining an edge over the rest of the council races." Liara stood up and started walking away from the Unisphere.

Shepard stood up to follow her. "So, the Alliance wants to keep it secret for now. But the secret's gonna get out sooner or later, won't it? You're here. What about Garrus, Tali, and Javik? They can easily go back to their people and spread the word…well not Javik…" said Shepard, keeping an eye on the smattering of people giving them dirty looks.

"I suppose letting us go on our own recognizance was a power play. My intel states the asari and quarian are not far behind. I'm not entirely sure about the turian," she answered, walking a little faster. "On the surface, everyone seems to be rallying behind the reconstruction of the Citadel and getting the mass relays back online, but I know better. Things haven't changed at all."

Shepard stopped walking. It took Liara a few moments to realize Shepard wasn't next to her and she stopped and turned around. The look on Shepard's face was a mix of confusion and slight anger.

"Jane, what-"

Before Liara could finish speaking, her biotic barrier absorbed several projectiles shot her way. Surprised, she let out a biotic push in the direction of the shooting. A human carrying a tempest sub-machine gun bounced off a nearby tree and fell to the ground with a thud, his body glowing with remnants of Liara's biotic energy. Shepard drew her weapon and ran toward the body. On the periphery of her vision, she saw other armed figures, about 30 meters away. On instinct, she began to roll, in hopes of taking cover behind the tree.

A barrage of bullets flew at her, blocked by her kinetic shields. She shuffled behind the tree, waiting for her shields to recharge.

_Damnit, the one time I go out into the field without armor._

She peered over her cover and saw the couple approaching; one armed with a Phaeston assault rifle, the other an Eviscerator shotgun. She let an area overload, which stunned the two armed men. One of the men's fingers seized on the trigger of his Phaeston. Her shields absorbed several bullets before she managed to aim three shots at the man with the Phaeston.

"Liara!" she called out, scanning the area for her partner. She heard Liara's voice in her earpiece. "I'm not far, Shepard; heading to your location now."

Shepard pressed her back against the tree once more and reloaded. She peered past the tree again, but could not see the remaining shooter. She tightened her grip on her weapon when she felt a strange charge to the air around her. She felt the presence of biotic energy but it did not feel like Liara's. "This is Commander Shepard, Council Spectre and Alliance Navy. Stand down!" she yelled.

Suddenly, the other man was six feet away from her, a deep purple biotic field emanating from his body. He had closed the gap between them with a biotic charge. He began to raise his weapon to her. "If you're Shepard, I'm the goddamn fleet admiral. Either way, I'm putting an end to you, you alien-loving bitch!" he said, words dripping with hate.

Thinking fast, Shepard raised her left hand to release an incineration blast. She managed to aim it squarely at his chest and release it before swerving her head away. As she turned her head, she saw a bright light come from the barrel of his gun. Shepard immediately felt the force of the shotgun blast, which spun to her left side, destroying her left arm. Shrapnel and other debris from the blast pierced through her arm and dug into her shoulder. The impact pushed her back a few feet before falling to the ground with a thud. Once she opened her eyes, she tried to sit up, but found it impossible. In immense pain, she let out a guttural yell. She turned her head to look over at her attacker, and saw him badly burnt and fumbling around on his hands and knees, as if lost. "I'll get you, I'll get you..." he mumbled. Shepard's vision began to blur as she attempted to focus on her surroundings.

A blue biotic explosion sent the attacker hurtling several yards into the air before landing a few feet away from Shepard, motionless. She then saw Liara kneeling over her, a look of grave worry written on her face.

"You'll be all right, Jane," Liara said softly. She activated her omni-tool and administered two packets of medi-gel, one on what remained of her left arm, the other to her left shoulder. The bleeding slowly subsided. A crowd had begun to gather around the pair. Liara held Shepard close to her. "I've already called for help. We'll be out of here soon," she said.

Liara looked up at the growing crowd. She grabbed Shepard's Carnifex and fired two warning shots at the ground, inches away from the feet of a few curious on-lookers. "Stay back, all of you! Don't come any closer!"

The people moved a few feet backward, but did no one left the immediate area. "Can you stand?" asked Liara.

Shepard nodded. "I think so, but I'll definitely need your help," she whispered.

Shepard struggled to sit up. Liara draped Shepard's right arm over her shoulders and they stood up together. Shepard winced as she leaned on Liara for support. A shuttle approached them, causing the crowd to disperse. The side door opened and Liara gingerly placed Shepard a seat, buckling her in. Shepard looked over to see Javik driving the shuttle. Liara took a seat across from Shepard. "Let's get out of here, Javik."

"Understood," answered Javik. He looked over the Shepard. "You are injured, Commander Shepard," he added plainly.

Shepard let out a small grunt. "It's just a scratch," she replied.

"Belittling an injury that serious benefits no one," he said harshly.

"It's good to see you too, Javik," said Shepard, leaning her head against the window. She looked down at her left arm and immediately looked away. She felt no pain since Liara administered the medi-gels, but even she knew recovery would be difficult. She shut her eyes and drifted away.

# # #

"You can never stay in one piece for an extended period of time, can you, Shepard?"

Shepard lay in a hospital bed in Reykjavik, feeling a little loopy. Her vision was slightly burred. Everything seemed like an out of focus photograph and her head felt heavy. Her entire left side in a stasis bubble. Her surgeon, claiming this would be the most efficient way to keep Shepard comfortable post-surgery, urged her to agree to this. Unsurprisingly to Shepard, this doctor was Miranda Lawson.

"No, Miranda, it seems as if the world has decided to periodically pulverize me," she answered, with a slightly smug look on her face. "Isn't it weird? You're my boss and my doctor at the same time. Should I be worried?"

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "No. In that department, there isn't any need to be worried. I've done all I could. The rest is up to you. Recovery will not be pleasant. The bones in your left arm have been shattered in multiple places into multiple pieces. You didn't have much of a left hand left either. With the Cerberus implants, regeneration and recovery should be quicker, but it won't be easy. With this much damage, scarring might be permanent" she said.

"Nothing worth doing is ever easy, is it?" said Shepard. _It isn't the first time I've said that._

"Your left side will be in stasis for a few more hours, as the implants I added on do the work. I can't look after you as long as I would like, considering my other obligations, but the hard part is over. Your hand has finally taken shape, but you will take a few days for you to operate at full strength. Later today the stasis field will automatically dissipate and you can begin recovery in earnest," said Miranda.

Shepard nodded her head in understanding. "With your placement on the Council, how the heck you were able to set time off for little old me anyway?" asked Shepard.

Miranda paused for a moment before answering. "I moved a few things around. Let's face it, no one knows you like I know you," she said with a wink.

Shepard groaned and rubbed her temples. "Ugh! Right when I've finally pushed it out of my mind the sheer number of times you've seen me naked and unconscious, you bring it right back!"

Miranda shrugged her shoulders and let out a small smile. "In all seriousness if Liara got to you any later, the damage could've been worse. It's good you pulled through. A shotgun blast of that caliber at short range would have killed anyone else."

Shepard looked over at Miranda, trying to study the emotions her face. "Well, I'm just hard to kill," she said.

Miranda then projected a photograph from her omni-tool. "Have you seen this? It's been plastered all over the extranet and gossip rags for the past few days."

The projected photo was of Liara kneeling over Shepard, with an activated omni-tool. Liara's face emanated sheer worry for the human below lying on the ground. Shepard's face remained obscured, covered by the hood she wore. Her entire left side was covered in blood, her sleeve and arm in tatters. Liara was cradling her with one arm, omni-tool on the other. The image shook Shepard.

"No, I haven't," she replied. She hadn't realized the extent of her injury until actually she actually saw it.

"There's been a lot of speculation about the identity of the human in the picture. I'd recognize that Asari anywhere, so I suppose the chances of it not being you were slim. Still, this photograph is warming people up to inter-species relationships…well, human-asari relationships, at least," said Miranda, looking at Shepard with a half smile and a gleam in her eye. Shepard thought she almost looked somber.

If Shepard could shrug both her shoulders, she would. "I know you don't really approve, Miranda."

"Shepard, it doesn't matter what I think. I hope you know me well enough to know I'm not anti-alien. It just…isn't for me. Either way, you're my friend first and I'll support whatever harebrained decision you make…within reason of course," she said with a weak smile.

"At least it took only a third of my body getting shot off to get people talking," Shepard said a little sarcastically.

"All conversations worth having start somewhere, I suppose," answered Miranda. She walked over to Shepard's bedside. "I'll be heading out now. You're in good hands." She stroked Shepard's right arm and activated her omni-tool again, opening the door to the room. Another doctor walked in, causing Shepard to beam.

"Dr Chakwas!" she exclaimed.

"I'm glad you made it through all right, Commander Shepard. After we had lost contact with you at the Citadel we had all assumed the worst," she said, with a look of relief on her face.

"I take it you're here to relieve Miranda?" asked Shepard.

"You certainly won't be my only patient, but yes, I'm here to monitor your recovery due to Ms Lawson's other obligations," she answered.

"I figured you'd like to see a familiar face every now and than," said Miranda.

"I appreciate what all of you are doing. I wouldn't be where I am without the help of my friends," said Shepard.

"Sometimes, your humility disgusts me. Just for once, I'd like you to take credit for being resilient in the face of all the shit thrown at you, Commander," said Chakwas.

Shepard chuckled, amused with Dr Chakwas' candor. "All right then. I'm pretty fantastic aren't I?"

"It's a start," responded the doctor.

Miranda leaned toward Dr Chakwas and they spoke to each other in hushed tones. Miranda then looked toward Shepard. "I'll be heading out. You're now in Dr Chakwas' capable hands. I'll be in touch when I can, but you'll be fine," she said with a soft smile.

"I'll be making my rounds as well. I'll be back once the stasis field is lifted," added Dr Chakwas.

Shepard waved them off. "Don't let me keep the two of you," she said as they exited the room.

She turned her head and looked at the scene that greeted her from her bedside. Floating in the sky, she could see a faint outline of the Citadel. She closed her eyes, in an attempt to focus her thoughts. Her vision was still a little unclear and hoped resting them would speed her vision's recovery.

"_I've lost you before, Jane. When I brought you to Cerberus, a part of me hoped that they could bring you back to me. I knew their intentions were less than noble, but I couldn't bear it," said Liara. _

_The pair of them sat in Liara's dig-site cavern. Her memory._

"_It's all right, Liara. You saved me. I can only imagine what you risked," answered Shepard. Shepard sat on the ground, leaning against a stone wall. Liara sat down next to her and grasped the human's hand and leaned her head on Shepard's shoulder._

"_I've never been this close to someone before. You, Shepard, are…unique…and I am so glad to know you," she said with a tinge of sadness in her voice._

_Shepard put her arm around Liara. "Well, once this is all over, let's go away, just the two of us."_

_Liara looked at Shepard incredulously. "Oh? And what of our responsibilities?"_

_Shepard shrugged. "We'll find a way."_

_The surrounding cave disappeared and Shepard found the pair of them back in the dilapidated building in London. _

"_Thank you, for everything. I love you, Shepard. Now let's do what needs to be done," said Liara._

Shepard opened her eyes, and her vision was no longer shaky. She tried moving her left arm, but remembered the stasis field and felt a little silly. She let out a loud laugh to no one in particular and wished someone had left her a book or datapad to help alleviate her boredom.

She then heard a flush from an adjacent doorway and was caught off-guard. She then heard sounds of running water. At that moment, Shepard had wished she were free so she could properly defend herself. A figure emerged from the doorway

"Going crazy there, skipper? I thought I heard laughter in here," said the figure.

Shepard let out a big smile. "Ash! It's good to see you!" said Shepard, adjusting her bed so that she would be in a seated position. Ashley leaned toward Shepard to give her former commander a hug.

"Likewise, Shepard," she answered. She then grabbed a nearby chair and sat by the bed.

"I'm very proud of you, Ash. You brought the _Normandy_ back in one piece. It must have been tough," said Shepard.

"It was…it wasn't easy, Shepard. Every day was a task to keep everyone hopeful. To make everyone believe that we could make it back without the mass relays…"Ashley trailed off, averting her eyes.

Shepard craned her head to get a better look at Ashley's face. "You did good. If not for your leadership, who knows what could have happened?"

Ashley crossed her arms and let out a smirk. "I'm sure your girlfriend had nothing but sterling things to say about me," she said.

"Well, she didn't say anything, but it looked to me that you both need some time away from each other," answered Shepard.

Ashley looked at the stasis field that surrounded Shepard's arm and shoulder. "I heard about what happened. I hope you know the fucker that did that to you is six feet under. His two friends are locked up, too. The crazy thing is, is that no one knows it was you that was attacked. Not sure, if that's a good or bad thing," said Ashley

"I'm inclined to say that it's a good thing, for now. The last thing I need is more publicity," said Shepard. She finally got a good look at her friend and saw that she looked immensely tired. "What are you up to these days, anyway?" she asked.

"I'm stationed in Beijing…what's left of it, anyway. I'm leading a recovery team. We've found insane amounts of reaper tech. I'm sure we'll eventually make good use of it. I have two days of leave, so I figured I'd see you," she said, with a weak smile on her face.

"How is it over there?" asked Shepard.

"The same as with every big city. It's not easy. There are so few of us left, compared to how it was before the reapers attacked. An unofficial census was taken. Including spacer refugees, Earth's human population stands at around four hundred million, and that's being generous. That's not even close to a billion, Shepard," said Ashley.

Shepard rubbed her temples before answering. "It isn't anywhere near how it was before the reapers attacked, but at least there's more than enough of us to keep the race going. We can't really say that about the others, can we?"

"How can you think of the other races at a time like this? We're stuggling enough as it is!" exclaimed Ashley, sounding a little more angry than she intended.

"I'm thinking like this because if every other race decides to band together and take away our resources, they can. The asari still have the Destiny Ascension, the Quarian have their whole damned fleet, and are backed by the turian. We can't afford to burn bridges when we're struggling build our own! I didn't work this hard uniting everyone under a cause just to have it be for nothing!" Shepard exclaimed. She then took a few deep breaths before adding, "Sorry, Ash. I'm not angry at you."

Ashley looked thoughtfully at Shepard for a few moments. "You're right, of course. I still don't understand why you haven't decided to become a politician yet," she said.

Shepard looked at her friend wearily. "I'm not one for politicking. Leave that to people who look good in the limelight."

"…and is that why I have to answer to that ex-Cerberus operative Miranda Lawson now?" asked Ashley with a raised eyebrow.

Shepard let out a laugh. "She isn't that bad. She has humanity's best interests in mind and is nowhere near being the fanatic the Illusive Man was. Considering we both had to deal with Udina not too long ago, she's definitely an upgrade."

Ashley let out a smile. "Yeah, I suppose she's better than having Udina down our throats. Then again, facing a geth army is more appealing to me than either of them. It seems like so long ago, like another century. Udina, Anderson, Kaidan…"

They sat in silence for a few moments. "I'm glad you're here, Ash," said Shepard.

"Thanks, Shepard," she answered, as she stood up. "I should go, it's a long way back to Beijing," she said.

"Sure thing, Ash. Thanks for visiting."

Ashley began walking away to leave, but stopped a few steps before the doorway. "With all due respect, Commander, I think it was a dumb move to decline the seat on the Council," she said with a sly grin.

Shepard raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah…kiss my ass, Williams. You'll just have to deal with Miranda as your new boss. Now, get outta here," she said lightheartedly.

Ashley let out a chuckle. "See you around, Shepard," she said before leaving.

The smile on Shepard's lips faded as she was left alone in her quarters. She looked over at the stasis field as it glowed with a soft purple hue. She had no control over her other arm and wondered when it would eventually disappear. She ran the finger tips of her right hand across the stasis field. It felt cool to the touch. Impatiently, she slammed her fist against it and it felt as hard as hitting a solid wall.

A part of her wished Ashley stayed a little longer. Heck, she wouldn't have minded if Ashley recited a few lines of poetry. Still, she knew there wasn't enough time for leisure on a planet struggling to survive. Was she right to decline the Council seat? Shepard still believed it was the right decision, even if her friends thought otherwise. In the long run, Miranda would be a better fit as a politician.

She tapped her fingers against the field, making a rudimentary drumbeat. She then began to hum to herself. She closed her eyes, trying to visualize a setting for her tune. She imagined a star-filled night sky: space. Floating aimlessly, the only thing protecting her between the vacuum of space being the fabric and technology in her space suit, she drifted through space, staring up at the sea of stars that greeted her.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself there a little too much, Jane," said a voice.

Shepard snapped out of her daydream and saw Liara standing over her, looking slightly amused. Shepard blushed. "Well, what would you do if you were partially paralyzed with nothing to do?" she asked.

"Well, you know what I did…pathetically waited for rescue," she answered with a tinge of embarrassment in her voice. She then leaned down and gave Shepard a quick kiss.

Shepard chuckled. "Well, you've come a long way since then. I…admire that about you."

Liara took a seat at the edge of Shepard's bed and raised an eyebrow. "The hero of the Citadel and savior of the galaxy admires me?"

"You bet I do. There are things about you I more than admire," said Shepard her voice deepening a little.

"Oh, is that so?" asked Liara suggestively. She leaned across the bed and traced her fingers against the stasis field that covered Shepard's arm. "We'll just have to wait, won't we?" She leaned away from Shepard and removed something from a small box. "Here, I have something for you."

Liara took Shepard's right wrist and placed the small metal cuff on it. She let go and it sparked to life, illuminating Shepard's arm in an orange glow.

Shepard's face brightened. "A Savant X omni-tool!? I… this is…thanks so much, Liara," she said, briefly hugging Liara before playing around with her new gift.

"It was no problem at all. I knew you would like it," she answered, standing up to admire the view from the hospital room. She leaned her forehead against the window.

"The Citadel is so close to being finished. It's taken all the great scientific minds of the council races to figure out how to rebuild it. There were sections of the Citadel archives that were originally hidden away from us due to the keepers' maintenance, but with the help of various translation programs and hard work, engineers from all the races managed to figure out the next steps," said Liara.

"Yes, but you don't sound optimistic," said Shepard. "When we were in the park, you mentioned nothing changing."

"Oh, I'm thrilled that things are moving in the right direction as far as space travel is concerned. Earth is nice, but I miss Thessia. It's just….with all the information I get, with all the conversations I listen to and private messages I read…it's hard to be optimistic. Mountains of data, all pointing to secret alliances or desires to expand empires once the relays are back in order. I…" she paused, rubbing her temples.

"Take a break, Liara. You've spent too much time in front of screens," said Shepard.

"I can't take a break, Shepard," she answered, her voice rising. "I can't stop, lest some hacker stumble upon the schematics to an asari warship and sell it to a privateer. Or prevent racists from tainting quarian food supplies. Or…" she said, pausing and turning her body to face Shepard: "forgetting that a faction of Terra Firma has its headquarters less than a kilometer from where we were attacked."

Shepard let out a sigh. "What happened to me isn't your fault. If you really want someone to blame, I guess you can blame Aria T'Loak, since she originally bought that apartment in that area for me. How about the parents of the guy who shot me, for raising such a stand-up guy? Heck, let's blame society. I blame society!" said Shepard, sounding a little manic. She then let out a small laugh, "I can't wait until I can use both my arms to give you a huge hug…because you're too cute to look that miserable."

Liara took a seat at Shepard's bedside and let out a small smile. She held Shepard's hand in hers. "The truth is, Jane, neither of us can really stop, no matter how much we want to. I'll always be in the background, watching. You'll always be in the spotlight: acting and reacting," she said plainly.

Shepard squeezed her hand. "Not unless we have to blow something up. I'd like you to be by my side, then."

"If I were to make a graph of my life in terms of explosions, I think the data would show an exponential increase in explosions and firefights after having met you…not that I'm complaining, but a nice breather in between dusting ourselves off would be good," said Liara.

Shepard rested her hand on Liara's nape and pulled her in for a kiss. "I like it when you talk about charts and graphs. How's that paper on Protheans coming along?" she asked. She proceeded to play with the clasps of Liara's jacket, undoing them.

Liara pulled away. "We're in a hospital!" she exclaimed, turning a deep shade of blue. "If you really must know, I'm almost done with my paper. I'll need to send it to the review board for publication, which might take a , that stasis field puts us in an awkward situation. You've only got one free arm."

"Hey, sometimes one arm is all I need," said Shepard with a wink.

Liara simply stared and turned an even deeper shade of blue, almost indigo. They both began to laugh. Liara tousled Shepard's hair and grinned. "Sometimes, you're insufferable."

"Hey, my hair! I'm not a kid!" she said, attempting to smooth it down.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it with your *one* good arm when I've got two?" said Liara, keeping Shepard's hand down with one arm, and messing her hair up with another.

"Now this just isn't fair!" said Shepard.

Liara pressed her body against Shepard effectively pinning her down. She then engaged her bondmate in a deep kiss. She pulled back slightly, keeping her face a few centimeters away from Shepard's, taking in all the facets of the human's face. "I want us to work. I want us to be together," she said seriously. She shifted her weight so that she lay on the edge of the bed instead on top of Shepard.

"We can be. We are," replied Shepard.

"The way I see things…the way I see things potentially unfolding; it scares me. People will try to use you for their own ends. Miranda's done a pretty good job so far with protecting you from dangerous figures within the Alliance. I'll admit you were wise to choose her," said Liara.

Shepard couldn't figure out the direction Liara was going in. "What do you mean?"

"The Alliance Parliament. The members that passed when the Reapers attacked Earth have all been replaced, mostly with the politically inexperienced. Miranda and Hackett can only do so much to influence their decisions, but once the Citadel is complete there will definitely be a need to be vigilant concerning colonizing and maintaining treaties among the Council races," she said.

The stasis field dissipated and Shepard attempted to move her left arm, which felt weak. She made a fist, but couldn't maintain it. She tried to suspend her arm in midair, but held it for a few seconds before her shoulder began to feel stiff and began to tremble. She rested her arm again and looked down at it. It was riddled with scars. A few scars reflected light off the Cerberus implants that lay beneath the skin. "It looks hideous," she said.

Liara sat up at traced her fingers up and down Shepard's regenerated arm. "It looks fine," she said. She stood up and looked down at Shepard, buttoning her jacket and smoothing out any creases. She gave Shepard a quick kiss on the forehead. The door to her room opened and Dr Chakwas walked in.

"Oh, Liara, I didn't realize you were here."

"I was just about to leave, Doctor," said Liara. She looked over at Shepard sympathetically. "I'll talk to you later," she said, closing the door behind her.

Dr. Chakwas stood over Shepard, scanning her body with an omni-tool. "Miranda was right. Not only did she predict when the stasis field would shut down, she even predicted the rate at which your body will heal. You're right on target," she said.

"That's a good thing, right? I know it won't be easy, but I'm eager to get back to work," said Shepard.

"I wouldn't recommend engaging in combat for the next two weeks, but some light exercise should do you good. A brisk walk, for example."

Shepard rolled her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She stood up and stretched her muscles. "Please Doctor, a brisk walk? What do you think I am, a geriatric?"

"Well, I can't let you do what you want. For crying out loud, you were shot at point blank range with a shotgun and survived. Rest is good for you," said Chakwas.

"Yeah, I also fell from space and was up and at it two months later. I think I can handle getting shot at," said Shepard smugly.

Chakwas looked at Shepard sternly. "All right then, I'll humor you for a few moments. What shall I tell Miranda after seeing you now?"

"Tell her I need to see her. Tell her I want to talk to her about our next move."


	15. Chapter 15

Hey guys, I packed a lot into this part. Thanks for reading this far!

# # #

Shepard sat in a waiting area of a building that acted as the hub of the Citadel council, though its inhabitants would find themselves in space soon enough. All around her, people of different races bustled around doing their own business. The scene comforted Shepard; if the races couldn't work together in secret, the least they could do is look like they could superficially work together.

Shepard felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and saw a young woman with short red hair and tired green eyes. "Kelly Chambers?" asked Shepard with a raised eyebrow. She was genuinely surprised to see her former crewmate.

"That's right, Commander. I'm still around, thanks to you. Then again, we're all still around because of you," she said warmly.

Shepard stood up to shake her hand. "It's good to see you. What are you doing here?"

"When I arrived on Earth I spent most of my time volunteering and helping spacer refugees find homes and transition to life here on Earth. Miranda Lawson got into contact with me a few weeks ago, and now I'm her personal assistant. I feel that I can get more accomplished working with her," she answered. She then activated a datapad and said, "On that note, Councilor Lawson will see you now. She's just down this hallway here."

Shepard followed Kelly to a small office. Miranda sat behind a plain desk with a computer terminal and an uncharacteristically large pile of papers next to terminal. The office was plainly decorated. On a far side of the wall was a window. A small potted plant sat at the sill, while on another side of the wall hung a large television set that played a live broadcast of the Alliance News Network on mute. Kelly left the room, shutting the door behind Shepard.

"Hello, Commander. Take a seat," said Miranda in a professional tone.

Shepard sat on a chair in front of Miranda's work desk and was surprised at how ridiculously comfortable it was. "This is a really nice chair," said Shepard plainly, almost feeling stupid to have vocalized that thought.

"I like to lull my visitors into feeling safe before I pounce," said Miranda, typing something into her computer terminal before looking to Shepard with a smug look on her face. Shepard merely let out a small chuckle before Miranda continued speaking.

"I heard from Dr Chakwas that your left arm is practically up to snuff now, after two weeks," she said.

"Yeah. The first few days were really painful, but it's fine now. It took a while to regain my strength, though," replied Shepard, flexing her left arm. "It gets a little shaky sometimes…but I can work."

"I suppose getting you back in the field is the best course of action for now," said Miranda, shutting off her computer terminal. She looked at Shepard intently.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Shepard.

"I expect Dr T'Soni has already informed you about Alliance efforts to further improve the_ Normandy_ by integrating reaper technology into it?" asked Miranda.

"Well, yes, but that's what everyone else is doing, right?"

"That's right. The Asari and Quarian are doing an excellent job with their fleet, but we seem to be on the cutting edge of it all," she said, almost triumphantly.

"The thing is, Commander," Miranda continued, "is the big elephant in the room. The _Normandy_ crew is popular. With their return, everyone knows that means the _Normandy_ is back in Alliance hands. No one is overtly talking about it, but people are curious about the Alliance's next step in terms of its place in galactic affairs. No doubt the council races are worried," said Miranda.

"What's there to worry about?" asked Shepard.

"The _Normandy_ is one of the top ships in the galaxy and the top frigate in the entirety of the Alliance fleet. What's the _Normandy_ without its leader?" asked Miranda, eyeing Shepard.

"I take it you mean me? The Alliance wants me to lead the _Normandy_ again?" asked Shepard, keeping her voice even, but struggling to contain her excitement.

"Yes. What worries me is who you are to the people who see you. You're different things to different people. Many see you as the hero of the Citadel, savior of the galaxy. Others see you as a traitor to your race. Some don't even think you belong here," said Miranda plainly.

Shepard crossed her arms. "The crazy opinions of a few people on the fringe are nothing to worry about. I am who I am, and I'd like to think my actions have benefited everyone," said Shepard.

"Good. You'll need to keep your cool and continue to be your diplomatic self. The Alliance parliament has re-formed, and some of the people on it are a bunch of goddamn idiots," said Miranda angrily. "You didn't hear that from me, of course," she added hastily.

"Of course," responded Shepard.

Miranda rubbed her temples. "I'm going to be frank with you, Jane. The new Alliance parliament is not comprised of the types of people that were on it before the Reaper war. A few members, thankfully less than half of them, are no longer open to the idea of humans having a larger presence in the galactic community. Other representatives are already wondering about reclaiming human colonies that were forcibly evacuated because of the war. They're all wrapped up in their own agendas they can't see the mess in front of them," she said, looking tiredly at Shepard.

"What's new? Everyone was in denial about the Reaper threat and wouldn't do anything about it. Now that it's all over, they'd all like to forget it ever happened," said Shepard.

Miranda stood up to water the little plant that stood on her windowsill. "Still, there is a question the fanatics have been bringing up that I have to admit to be curious about," she said, leaning against the sill.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"What happened to you on the Citadel? You reached the beam, but we all but lost contact with you. Hackett said he was able to intermittently hear from you, but can't confirm anything other than some incomprehensible words and static," said Miranda, her eyes looking at Shepard intently.

Shepard shifted in her seat. "I'm surprised this hasn't come up sooner. It's just…" Shepard faltered, now knowing where to begin.

Miranda sat down next to Shepard in an adjacent seat. "I'm asking you as a friend. Not as a representative of the Council or your boss."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Shepard let out a small sigh and proceeded to explain the encounter between the Illusive Man and David Anderson. She discussed how the Crucible's Catalyst was more than just a means to fire it. She described the Catalyst being an advanced AI taking the shape of a young boy, and how the Reapers were designed to arrive every 50,000 years to reap technologically advanced civilizations. The way she understood it, these civilizations would be "saved" within every Reaper ship, each ship housing the memory and essence of the taken civilization. In a strange, morbid way, the Reapers felt they were preserving life by taking it away and storing it as memory within them.

"And for a few moments, I felt I truly had the power of a god in my hands. I had to choose whether or not I should continue on with the Reapers' plans to go on with the cycle or not. I made the choice to end the cycle the way I saw fit: destroy the Reapers," said Shepard solemnly. "I hope I made the right decision," she added after a long pause. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming.

Miranda let out a barely audible grunt. "Well, Commander, if I had to choose between becoming processed in some vat or living out the rest of my days naturally, I'd pick the latter. There's no doubt in my mind you made the right decision."

"That makes one of us. Let's just hope we prove ourselves worthy of making it through. The last thing I want is another war over something that could've been resolved without fighting. I feel like I've done nothing but fight these past three years," said Shepard gravely. She rested her head in her hands and let out a sigh.

Miranda placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Well, if you must know, I have it on good intel that the Quarian are rebuilding the Geth, with the help of Human and Turian engineers. Not as workers or slaves, but are maintaining the Geth's 'true AI' status."

Shepard's eyes widened as she looked up. "Seriously? That's…really good news!"

Miranda shrugged. "Yes, I figured you'd like hearing that. I guess all that drama you caused on Rannoch meant something. There was quite a bit of in-fighting within the Conclave about what to do with all the inert Geth and Geth ships floating around. A few members of the Admiralty were all for melting them down for new ship parts, but a few younger members were moved by your actions on Rannoch. They've been deadlocked for the longest time until the _Normandy_ returned. Suffice it to say, Tali broke the deadlock and here we are: Geth are slowly being integrated back into civilization."

"You seem almost flippant, Miranda," said Shepard.

"I had to know what happened to you on the Citadel. I don't want your actions coming back to hurt us. With the reactivation of the Geth, would they hack into the Citadel archives and find something else as the cause of their de-activation? Would they rebel against us? Would they blame you?" asked Miranda

Shepard stood up from her seat, trying to keep her anger in check. "I did what I thought was right. The Geth should see that. Hell, no one knows their history like I do. If their memories are still intact, there's no reason to fear them. The quarian were already reaping the benefits of having the geth on their side on Rannoch, weren't they?"

"I'm not angry at you, Commander, nor am I placing any blame your way. I'm being cautious. As far as I know, their memory banks have recorded everything up until the Crucible docking on the Citadel. On the plus side, no Geth has behaved maliciously against an organic. There are already a few Geth helping out on the Citadel's reconstuction, and in several major cities around the globe; mostly as support, since Geth Primes are really bloody huge," said Miranda in a calm, even voice.

Shepard almost forgot how manipulative Miranda could be. She was grilling her for information, thinking several steps ahead in terms of what could happen, not only to humanity, but to everyone else humanity has dealt with. Shepard relaxed a little, shifting her weight to one side and crossing her arms. "So, we're bringing the Geth back. I hope we've learned from our past mistakes."

"Thanks to you, a lot have. It'll only be a matter of time until we see if our investment pays off. All the council races need any help that will go our way," said Miranda.

"So," started Shepard, "Where do I fit in all this? I've given everything I am to this fight, and now that it's over…I feel as if there's nowhere I belong. Is that strange?"

"Please Shepard, you're younger than me and you're speaking as if you're ready to retire," said Miranda a little dramatically, in an attempt to lighten the mood. "And no, I don't think what you're feeling is strange."

"Yeah, well, over the past several months I've been blown up, shot at, been chased, have chased, and fallen from numerous high places countless number of times. Hell, Miranda, I _fell from an orbiting space station, landed on Earth, and *survived*_. Shit, can you blame a girl for wanting a change of pace, even for a few moments?"

Miranda sighed. "I'll admit there are times I've thought a slower pace of life would suit me. I'm sure a break would do you good, too. Thing is, Shepard, what do you and I know about normal? My childhood was not typical. I've fought alongside you and have witnessed firsthand all the insanity you go through. People like us… we don't do normal," she said, leaving her seat next to Shepard and reaching for something on her table drawer.

Shepard sat back down, leaned into the chair and ran her fingers through her hair. "We're abnormal. I suppose I can live with that," she said with a chuckle. "A vacation would be nice, though," she added.

Miranda produced two glasses and a sealed bottle of some sort of brown spirit. "A little blue bird told me you have an affinity for a good Scotch. I happen to have a lovely bottle here, waiting to be opened," said Miranda, placing the items on the table, the bottle and glasses landing on the table with a soft clink. "It's not exactly a vacation, but Scotch like this doesn't come along all the time."

Shepard leaned forward in her seat, her interest piqued. "Oh? What are we celebrating?"

"As I said before, you're different things to different people. Regardless of the crazies say, you are a hero. To put it bluntly, you've saved us from goddamn space monsters, the stuff of nightmares. The people need to see you as what you are: a heroic icon. You are the best of what humanity as to offer. Taking the lead on the _Normandy_ is integral to people's image of you. So here's what we're drinking to: your return to the _Normandy_," she said, pouring some Scotch into the glasses.

She stood over Shepard, and handed one of the glasses to her friend, and raised her own. Shepard stood up to reach for it.

"Cheers, Shepard."

"Cheers, Miranda."

Shepard took a hefty sip of her drink and let out a smile. "That's smooth. No burn at all. How on earth did you find this?" she asked, staring down at her glass.

"'How on earth' indeed. I have my connections, but I'm afraid this is a secret I'm keeping to the grave. Suffice it to say, a few distilleries in Scotland survived Reaper control and like true Scots, they went right back to distilling once word had spread the war was over. This bottle was before the war, though, so it's extra special," she answered.

Shepard downed the rest of her drink but still held on to the glass. "So, I assume I'll be shipping up to Mars soon?"

"Yeah, but who told you that? News of the _Normandy_'s return hasn't been withheld, but its location isn't widely known."

"A little blue bird told me."

Miranda grinned. "Of course she did. On the surface, the Alliance is focusing its resources on Earth, but in secret, we've been working just as hard on implementing reaper tech onto our ships." She reached over and refilled Shepard's glass. "One more for the road, Commander," she added.

"Thanks," said Shepard, taking a smaller sip. "Is it all right for you to be drinking on the job?" she asked.

Miranda feigned a look of shock. "Please, Shepard, this is a celebration and I am my own boss! Besides, Kelly Chambers is doing her fair share for today and there aren't any meetings on the agenda for today, so I'm quite all right," she responded with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm surprised you managed to snag Kelly. I wasn't sure she made it," said Shepard

"It was almost happenstance, really. I saw her working with spacer refugees and realized she'd be better off here," she said curtly.

Shepard raised an eyebrow and took another sip. "That's it? You don't seem to be the type that wants a secretary with benefits."

Miranda chuckled. "Oh, I'm not you, Shepard. I have my reasons. Kelly was...getting close to my sister. Nothing romantic, mind, but she hasn't been the same since the collector base. She hides it well, but I sense some sort of slight instability in her. I...want to observe Kelly for a bit. Perhaps focusing on work will help her dispel whatever demons she has."

Shepard finished the rest of her drink. "Work helps, but people need friends too. Maybe having Oriana as a friend would help Kelly more than you know?"

Miranda leaned back in her seat, in thought. "I'll think about it. I'm wary about everyone Oriana meets…even people I've worked with before."

"Well, your sister needs a friend that isn't my mother."

"My sister has…some. Friends, that is!"

Shepard chuckled. "Yeah. OK. I'll believe it when I see it."

Miranda crossed her arms. "Sometimes, Shepard, you're insufferable! My sister's social life is none of your business. Let me take care of it, you have other things to worry about."

Shepard winked. "That's not the first time I've heard that." She then stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in her uniform, in preparation to leave. "Thanks for the news...and the drinks, Miranda"

Miranda stood up to lead Shepard to the door. "No problem at all, Commander. PM me once you get to the _Normandy_, and we'll discuss where to go from there."

Miranda gently grabbed Shepard's arm before Shepard reached the door. She looked at her former Commander carefully.

"Commander, you're sure you're all right with going right back to work?" asked Miranda.

"Of course I'm sure," answered Shepard. "It's what I do."

Miranda let out a small smile. "If things get overwhelming, don't hesitate to contact me," she said with a tinge of concern in her voice.

"I'm fine. You're a good friend, Miranda... Or should I be calling you 'Councilor?'"

"Only when we're in front of others. Imagine the scandal and the tabloids if you did otherwise. _The Councilor and the Commander: More Than a Professional Relationship? _You don't want to hear what the gossip rags say about you," said Miranda lightheartedly.

Shepard pulled away from Miranda and shrugged. "I've heard enough. Besides, it seems things are looking up."

# # #

Hyderabad was hot. Shepard knew most of India would be hot, but she hadn't expected an afternoon in Hyderabad to be this scorching. She wore her modified carnifex in a shoulder holster over a plain t-shirt. The shoulder holster was a gift from her mother, whom she met before leaving Iceland. It was a family heirloom that had originally belonged to her great grandfather who worked as a police detective. The holster itself had to be modified to accomodate the modern weapon, but it was no trouble considering she felt invincible as she wore it. She wanted everyone to know she was well armed, even if she didn't wear bulky armor in midst of this obnoxious heat and bright sun.

She stood in the middle of a busy marketplace, filled mostly with humans. One or two krogan could be seen guarding some building entrances. In the distance she could see several skyscrapers that survived the reaper invasion, along with other historic buildings that were centuries old. Before the reaper war, Hyderabad was one of many major cities scattered around the globe known for its manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, especially medi-gel. Now, it was one of two remaining cities with capabilities of producing medi-gel on a large scale, the other being Johannesburg.

"Commander Shepard!" yelled a voice.

Shepard turned to the direction of the voice, saw a familiar face, and grinned. "Lieutenant Cortez, it is good to see you."

Steve Cortez stood before Shepard and saluted. Shepard saluted back. "At ease, Lieutenant. What brings you here?"

"I was told to meet you. here I've been piloting cargo ships carrying supplies from Earth to our Mars base. When I first arrived back I was assigned shipping routes all over Earth, but I've found Mars popping up on my itinerary more and more. It isn't glamorous, but it's good work," he responded. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"Not at all. I had intended to spend most of the day sight-seeing anyway," said Shepard.

"Come, I'll take you to our ship." Cortez began walking and Shepard followed.

"Is it tough work? I mean, have you had any problems in your trips?" asked Shepard.

"Piloting the ship is not the problem, protecting the ship and cargo can be. Me and the rest of the crew take care counting and recounting the supplies, making sure nothing gets lost in the shuffle. We also sometimes worry about mercs and raider attacks, but all the cargo ships we fly are well armed against run-n-gun attacks. We all have military training too, so it isn't so bad."

"Good to know. You expect we'll run into anything unsavory?" asked Shepard.

"Not en route to Mars. Most merc bands are small time and can't afford the fuel needed to travel planet to planet as they please. I guess once the Citadel is up and running that'll change, but for now, I think we're good."

# # #

Shepard sat strapped to a seat right next to Lieutenant Cortez, the ship rumbling as it left Earth's atmosphere. She was feeling a combination of anxiousness and excitement. This would be her first time leaving the planet since bringing the fleet to Earth.

"Sorry for the bumpy ride, Commander. This cargo ship isn't exactly top of the line," said Cortez.

"No biggie, Steve. I'm just glad to be on a space-bound ship," she responded. Once the shaking subsided, she unbuckled her safety harness and looked around. The ship itself was nothing to brag about. Even though it bore the Alliance seal, the ship looked to be older than her. Serving on ships like the _Normandy_ certainly spoiled her. She walked over to an observation window and looked down at the view that greeted her: Earth. She pressed her forehead against the window and soaked in the view of the planet as they travelled farther and farther away from it. Tears fell down her face, which she immediately wiped away with her arm.

"Commander?"

Shepard turned to face Steve who was standing a few paces behind her. She smiled meekly. "Did you know the last time I saw Earth from above it was on fire? The image haunted me wherever I went. It was a constant reminder of what was at stake. Now..." she turned slightly to look back at the planet. "It almost looks like it was all worth it."

" 'Almost?' As if there was any doubt, Commander! I always believed in you," said Steve genuinely.

"Thanks, Steve, but even I have had my moments of self-doubt and worry. Looking at all this, I'm glad I saw things through to the end."

"Commander, you'd be surprised with the rumors that swirl around you. When guys hear I served on the _Normandy_, they ask what weapons are in your arsenal, what type of armor you use, what you take for breakfast, and a ton of other weird questions. With what you've accomplished, they all assume you're armed to the teeth and have the strength of ten men. Folks tend to forget you're an engineer. Some don't believe me when I say you go into battle with only a pistol, and maybe a sniper rifle, depending on your mood," he said lightheartedly.

Shepard grinned. "You better hope I don't bring a sniper rifle with me."

Cortez smiled back. "Don't I know it. Here, let me give you a grand tour of the old girl."

# # #

The trip to Mars took a total of four days to complete. Had the ship been new (and had the Alliance not been rationing fuel), travel time would have been cut in half, but they needed to be as frugal as possible. Shepard passed the time playing cards and dispelling rumours about her love life (only one asari, no harem of mixed race beings), weapons preferences (heavy pistols with scope, recoil, and magazine modifiers), preferred armor and accessory brands (Umbra visor along with Rosenkov materials chestplate and lower body armor, Serrice council shoulder guards, and Kassa fabrication gauntlets), and which store on the Citadel really was her favorite (toss up between Citadel Souvenirs and Saronis Applications).

To the curious crewmen and civilian contractors, she admitted to having a soft spot for collecting model ships, savoring a good drink, and stargazing. This side of Shepard was surprising to almost everyone aboard the ship, considering what many of them knew of the **Legendary** Commander Shepard was through news vids, stories circulated through the extranet, and second-hand knowledge from people claiming to have spoken to people that were friends with crew that have served on the _Normandy_. Shepard noticed people who were originally distant when meeting her for the first time eventually warmed up to her as the trip progressed.

Before disembarking, they all asked for her autograph and posed for pictures. She found all this attention quite strange and uncomfortable. It almost felt as if she had a group of Conrad Verners fawning over her, but she was more than willing to oblige.

On the landing pad of the Mars base, two Alliance officials greeted Shepard. They were flanked by low-ranking soldiers. She didn't recognize any of them, so she assumed they were recently promoted. She stood at attention when they approached her. She was in full body armor since the landing pad was outdoors.

"At ease, Commander. I am Captain Leroux and this is Rear-Admiral Yamamoto. We're here to talk about the Alliance's, and through that, humanity's, next step," said the taller Alliance officer. Aside from their height, Shepard couldn't really tell them apart, since they were both wearing body armor.

"Of course," said Shepard, relaxing her shoulders slightly, but still remaining alert. She followed them past a series of corridors to an elevator. Once the airlock closed, they all removed their helmets. Rear-Admiral Yamamoto had a scar that started on the right side of her forehead, traveled diagonally across her face, and ended on the left side of her jaw. Her black hair was peppered with some grays and tied in a tight braid.

Captain Leroux had tanned skin, only slightly darker than Shepard's. He was younger than Yamamoto, and had friendly eyes and a jet-black beard.

"Greetings, Commander," said Yamamoto in a calm matter. "We met in passing almost a decade ago. I led the recovery mission on Akuze." She then extended her hand.

Shepard firmly shook her hand. "It's good to see you."

"Admiral Hackett sends his regards. He would join us, but is still rather busy with Earth's recovery efforts," said Yamamoto.

"He's also helping keep up appearances. We can't have all our cards on the table for the other Council races to see," added Leroux.

"I understand," said Shepard after a pause for a brief moment.

"Your belongings are in the process of being transferred to the _Normandy_. We'll give you a few moments to collect yourself before we begin. We'll meet in the _Normandy'_s War Room in 1300 hours local time," said Captain Leroux.

Shepard looked at her omni-tool. "That's almost 12 hours from now," she said, trying to hide the surprise in her voice.

"We want to give you ample time to get acquainted with the modified _Normandy_ and introduce yourself to the new crew," answered Leroux.

The thought of a new crew worried Shepard a little. Sure, she could work well with others, but a large part of what made her miss the _Normandy_ was her crewmates. "Of course. I'll see you all in the War Room," she said, saluting them, her heart racing.

# # #

Shepard was escorted to the _Normandy_ by two Alliance soldiers, both of whom were in awe of her presence. Since they were station elsewhere on Mars, they brought her to the _Normandy_ airlock, smiling ear-to-ear, knowing they were with the savior of the galaxy.

Once Shepard entered the ship, she was greeted by a group of people standing at attention in the _Normandy_'s CIC. She saluted them. "At ease, ladies and gentleman," she said. She stood at her spot above the galaxy map and scanned the group to look for any faces she recognized and saw five people scattered among the crowd, looking warmly at her. She heard a familiar voice speak through the intercom.

"Welcome back, Shepard," said the voice.

"EDI? You're all right?" Shepard asked tentatively.

"Yes, Shepard," answered EDI.

"No…problems to report?"

"None. Although if you wish for problems to arise, I will be more than willing to oblige any psychotic tendencies that may lay dormant in you," answered EDI. "...That was a joke."

Shepard snorted in an attempted to stifle laughter, relieved that her favorite active AI was unharmed by whatever allowed the Crucible to shutdown higher forms of artificial intelligences. "I'll have some questions for you later, EDI," said Shepard, smirking. She then looked to the rest of the _Normandy's _crew.

"I'm in high spirits to see the _Normandy_ intact. I see some faces I recognize, and many that are new to me. We face a different challenge today. We're not fighting Reapers. We're fighting for our survival in a galaxy where we are truly alone. There is no higher life form out there to destroy us, harvest us, or control us. What we see is all that's left. Nothing's changed, but at the same time, everything's changed. We still have to work together, not just with each other, but with the other alien races as well. We're not as strong as we once were, but we definitely can rise above and become stronger than we've ever been," said Shepard confidently. She rubbed her eyes, feeling a little tired, but still looked at the faces of the people who looked up at her. She felt her arms and hands tremble. She balled her hands into fists in an attempt to steady herself.

"You've still got it, Commander," said a voice from behind. Shepard turned her head to see Diana Allers, with her camera in tow. "If it's all right with you, I'm going to lead today's show with that speech."

"Sure, you can," answered Shepard. She turned her head back to the crew. "Last I checked the _Normandy_'s upgrades aren't finished. You're all dismissed," she said, firmly.

The crowd slowly dispersed, but Specialist Traynor, Engineers Adams, Daniels, and Donnelly stood near the dormant galaxy map. Joker leaned against a computer terminal smirking, while Allers walked toward the elevator to edit her work in her room.

"Wow, Shepard, you almost brought a tear to my eye. Also, YOU'RE ALIVE! Not even giant space demons can kill you," said Joker.

Shepard stepped down from the galaxy map. "Yeah, I pride myself in my godlike ability to be godlike," she said, grinning.

"Well, it seems your humility died along with the Reapers. So, is this a new, cockier Shepard for a new, run-down galaxy?" asked Joker.

Before Shepard could respond, Traynor chimed in. "No Jeff, she's just saved all her jokes for you," she said.

Shepard crossed her arms. "Traynor's right. Miranda gets sarcasm, but I can't swap jokes with her now, can I? And Liara," Shepard said, giving Traynor a quick sideways glance before looking back at Joker, "she's still learning," she said with a wink. "You, Mr. Moreau, are the only joker for me."

Joker grinned. "Commander, you slay me with your terrible puns."

Shepard shrugged. "It's what I'm here for."

Joker looked at the rest of the group, and saw they all wanted their moment with Shepard. He leaned away from the computer terminal and began to walk away. "If you want to talk, Commander, I'll be at the helm."

"Sure thing," responded Shepard. She turned to the rest of the crew and smiled. "My three favorite engineers. I'm surprised you're all still here," she said.

"Commander, this is the most advanced ship in the galaxy. Why wouldn't we be here?" answered Adams.

"Besides, with the integration of Reaper tech, we're here to make sure every new addition works and runs smoothly," added Daniels.

"Oh? And how is the _Normandy_ coming along?" asked Shepard.

"Everything is moving ahead faster than expected. Reaper technology is surprisingly compatible with our tech. From what I've heard from other engineers, the other races are also successful in their upgrades. We're just having an easier job of it because there are more of us," said Kenneth.

"How long until the _Normandy_ is space worthy?"

"At the pace we're going, about seven Earth days until we start preliminary tests. Depending on those results, either a few days or a few weeks," answered Traynor.

"That sounds excellent," said Shepard, stifling a yawn.

Traynor raised an eyebrow. "I hope you don't think I'm out of line when I ask you this Commander, but when was the last time you slept?"

Shepard tilted her head in thought. "Like a full six to eight hours of sleep? Not sure, but I think it was on Earth, before meeting Lieutenant Cortez in Hyderabad…I took a few power-naps on the way here, though."

Traynor crossed her arms. "Commander, you have more than enough time before your meeting with Rear Admiral Yamamoto and Captain Leroux. As your personal assistant, I think it's best if you get some rest. Things here are more or less running itself as the upgrades are installed."

"Giving out orders now, Specialist?" said Shepard.

"I meant no disrespect, Commander!" exclaimed Traynor. "You just look a little tired."

Shepard let out a weary smile. "I'm not upset. Anyway, I feel like a few hours of shut-eye would do me good."

# # #

Shepard made her way to her quarters on the _Normandy_'s top floor. She opened the door and saw her room was the way she left it. She walked over to her desk to see her space hamster waiting for her in its cage.

"Hi, Carl," said Shepard softly, picking up a datapad that was leaning against the cage. Carl let out a small squeak before retreating behind a hamster wheel. She read the message contained in the datapad:

_Hello, Jane. _

_Ms Lawson informed me of your return to the _Normandy_. I'm afraid I can't join you as soon as I would like, but here's your pet to keep you company until I can. I'm going to hypothesize you named him after the human scientist Carl Sagan? You can confirm my guess when I see you._

_Yours,_

_Liara_

Shepard let out a small smile. _Nothing gets past you, does it?_ She put the datapad back down and walked over to her fish tank and watched her fish benignly swim around the tank.

"You there, EDI?" asked Shepard tentatively.

"Yes, Shepard," said EDI, through an intercom.

"Who has been this area in my absence?"

"Most recently, an Alliance delivery man was here to place your caged animal on your desk. Prior to that, Specialist Traynor has used the shower on multiple occasions. Dr T'Soni has also used this room as a contemplation area, when the _Normandy_ was Earth-bound without the mass relays. If you must know, she also took up some light cleaning and organizing, although it was unnecessary. No other people have been in here, and no more than one person was ever here during any given time," answered EDI.

"EDI, I'm curious...what happened to you when the Reapers were destroyed?" asked Shepard, taking off the outer layer of her uniform and removing her shoulder holster. She hung her uniform jacket behind a chair and placed her shoulder holster on a bedside table. She plopped down on the bed, her legs dangling off the edge.

"According to Jeff, my 'body' and programming aboard the ship shut down once the Crucible fired. I had prepared for such an event prior to the assault on Earth. I backed up my programming on a separate drive kept in the cargo hold. Jeff had me reinstalled shortly after landing on that jungle planet. Unfortunately, my 'body' is elsewhere in an Alliance research facility beyond my control. From what I have gleaned from Alliance databases, researchers are trying to replicate the technology Cerberus had originally pioneered," answered EDI.

"So, you expected to be taken off-line?" asked Shepard.

"Not exactly. Being taken off-line was one of the many possible risks that could have happened to me once we landed on Earth. I simply prepared for all calculated events. I believe this is what you organics call 'self-preservation,'" said EDI.

Shepard grinned. "Well, all's well that ends well. The _Normandy_ just isn't the _Normandy_ without you, EDI," she said. She then hopped off the bed, removed the rest of her uniform, and entered the shower.

"Are you all right, Shepard?" asked EDI. "You seem uncharacteristically chipper. I would understand if this mood is a result of returning to the place you have called 'home' for the past two years. Perhaps I still need practice in reading human emotions, but there is something different about you."

Shepard paused for a few moments, letting the water hit her. She finished showering and dressed in a clean shirt and shorts, not addressing the question. She sat at the edge of her bed for a few minutes before speaking.

"I'm just glad to be here, EDI. Nothing more. I think I'd like some privacy now," said Shepard, lying down on her bed. She stared up at the Martian sky that greeted her, wondering when the time would come of stars flying past her instead of a stationary sky.

"Of course," answered EDI. The lights in Shepard's quarters dimmed and Shepard shut her eyes.

_Is it really that obvious?_ Shepard turned to her side; wanting to feel happy about being back on the ship she missed so much. Despite finding her way back, she felt something missing. Hoping for a reprieve from this helpless feeling, she drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

# # #

Shepard, dressed in her usual blue officer's uniform, sat it what was left of the _Normandy_'s War Room. Much of what had made the War Room what it was had been stripped away and removed. All that remained was the communications terminal and a few computer terminals, all of which were deactivated. Shepard looked around the octagonal room and thought about all that had happened in that small area; all the planning, building bridges between races that once hated each other, worrying over available war assets, and looking over the progress of the Crucible's construction. To anyone that didn't know any better, it would have looked like an abandoned computer lab. She leaned forward in her seat and folded her hands. She heard the door open and saw Specialist Traynor leaning against the door jamb.

"Commander, you still have a few more hours until the meeting. What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Just mentally preparing myself...and thinking about all that's happened here; how this place used to be. It doesn't look like much now, does it?" answered Shepard.

"This is only temporary, Commander. Once all the upgrades and modifications are complete, it will look and perform better than before," said Traynor brightly.

Shepard leaned back in her seat and motioned to Traynor to sit next to her. "Liara told me what happened between the two of you."

"Oh, she did..." said Traynor averting her eyes and shifting in her seat.

"Before you give me a long, drawn-out apology, I want to say I understand. The two of you have a lot in common, and you both spent a lot of time in the same place with nowhere to go-" said Shepard before being cut off.

"Commander, my feelings for Dr. T'Soni stemmed from the situation we found ourselves in. You can rest assured that my feelings for her now are purely professional. I respect her and I respect you and I wouldn't do anything to ruin what you have," said Traynor, getting flustered with every word. She put her head in her hands, feeling ashamed.

"I know," said Shepard, gingerly putting a hand on Samantha's shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. "I also want to say 'thank you' for being there for Liara when I couldn't."

Traynor looked at Shepard, her face a mixture of relief and surprise. "You're too kind, Commander."

Shepard shrugged. "The Reapers probably don't think so."

"Pardon my language, Commander, but the Reapers mean fuck all at this point. If you think about it, we're reverse engineering their _corpses_ to power our ships. I still stand by what I said. It's a privilege to work with you," said Traynor, straightening her posture.

Shepard merely let out a smile in return. "Thanks. I could only get as far as I've gotten if I've had a good team with me," she said, standing up to get a better look around.

"It must feel good, to have someone that devoted to you," said Traynor.

Shepard absentmindedly pressed a few buttons on some terminals, none of them responded. "I do love her and I am glad to have her in my life." She didn't want to mention the empty feeling inside her. "How long until Rear Admiral Yamamoto and Captain Leroux get here?"

"Still a few more hours. Here, I've got my portable chess set..."

# # #

"Commander, how do you feel being back aboard this ship?" asked Captain Leroux.

"It's a strange feeling sir, but I can't see myself being anywhere else," answered Shepard. Shepard, Leroux, and Yamamoto stood in the War Room. Admiral Hackett's and Miranda's holograms were projected in the room as well.

"Reconstruction on the Citadel is coming along faster than anyone had anticipated. It seems the Citadel has it's own self-repair mechanisms. In conjunction with our work with the help of the other races, we should be setting up our offices in less than a month," said Miranda.

"And how are rebuilding efforts moving along on Earth?" asked Shepard. A part of her couldn't enjoy being on the _Normandy_ if the conditions on Earth haven't improved.

"Rebuilding efforts on Earth are moving ahead, though not as fast as the Citadel or the fleet," answered Miranda.

"She's right," said Hackett. The Council has granted Spectre status to more candidates in an attempt to better regulate and enforce Council law. In addition, we've expanded the N7 program and increased budgets to both hard and soft infrastructure. In short, everyone's working and things are progressing, little by little," said Hackett.

"Have you seen Chicago? It's much better now than when we left it," added Miranda.

"That's excellent news, Councilor," said Shepard.

"This construction brings up to our next step. Once the Citadel is up and running, we're going to check on the state of the mass relays around the galaxy. We've been able to use salvaged Reaper technology to repair the Charon relay. From there, we're going to transport the Citadel to the Serpent Nebula," said Captain Leroux.

"What's my role in all this?" asked Shepard.

"Our role, actually," said Yamamoto. "Each of the Council races will bring three ships to escort the Citadel to the Charon relay. Non-council races will bring one ship to represent them in the trip. I'm leading the SSV Salvador, Captain Leroux will head the SSV Orleans, while you will lead the SSV Normandy," said Yamamoto.

"This is a gesture of goodwill between all the races. We're showing we're willing to put one of our best ships on the line for the sake of others," said Hackett.

"What do you mean?"

"The inaugural moving of the Citadel is no small matter. We don't know what will happen once we bring the Citadel through the Charon relay, which is why each race is only bringing three ships. The _Salvador_ and the _Orleans_ are formidable ships in their own right, but don't hold a candle to the _Normandy_. This decision to include the _Normandy_ is a message to the other races…" said Hackett.

"…A message that we're all in this together and that we're not looking to dominate everyone else, you mean?" said Shepard. She could sense where this conversation was going. If the Alliance were seen as willing to risk its greatest ship for this mission, the other races would see this as a sign of goodwill…or sheer stupidity.

"Of course, there are risks," said Leroux. The remaining ships will remain in Earth's orbit while the rest of the volunteer ships set out with the Citadel. There's a chance our plan can backfire and we won't make it back."

"If all our engineers' and scientists' calculations are correct, that shouldn't be a problem," added Yamamoto hastily.

"What are our odds?" asked Shepard.

"Our engineers give it a solid 60% success rate. The salarians give it a 50/50 chance," answered Miranda.

Shepard let out a sigh. "Well, I've been expected to either fail or die multiple times in the last three years. How would this be any different?"

"Commander, I take that comment as a sign that you'll accept this mission?" said Hackett

"Yes, Admiral, I like those odds."


	16. Chapter 16

"If there were something bothering you, you wouldn't hesitate to tell me, right?" asked Liara, genuinely concerned.

Shepard and Liara sat by the bar in the _Normandy_'s lounge. Four Alliance crewmen sat at the opposite side of the room, playing cards. The pair spoke softly enough to be out of earshot. There was no alcohol at the bar, so they settled for a pair of club sodas.

"I wouldn't. Why?" asked Shepard.

"Despite finally being reunited, we haven't been able to see much of each other. With all that's happened, I just hope you're feeling all right," answered Liara, tracing patterns on the bar's surface with a finger.

"I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me if I'm all right?" asked Shepard, sounding irritated.

"Believe it or not Jane, people do care about you. Whether you'll acknowledge it or not is up to you. You just seem on edge now, even when you claim to be feeling fine," answered Liara, not backing down.

"Well, isn't it natural to be on edge? Everything hangs on the Citadel working properly and getting the mass relays back online. I'll be a part of the inaugural fleet heading in. I'm pretty sure being nervous is pretty normal reaction," answered Shepard sardonically. She took a few sips of her drink before running her fingers through her hair.

"Don't you see it, Jane? Can't you hear yourself? What's gotten into you?" asked Liara, her voice still soft and even. "It's clear to me you're upset. Please, let me help."

Shepard leaned in, her voice barely a whisper, "Do you want to start this here?"

Liara leaned in as well, "We're having polite conversation. I don't understand what you mean by 'this,'" she responded.

Shepard balled her hands into fists and placed them on the bar for a few moments. She then laid her palms flat against the surface and took a few deep breaths. She smirked and turned to face Liara. "What are you going to do? Call one of your contacts and make these problems go away?" she asked, her voice rising. The crewmen sitting around the poker table held their cards closer to their bodies and leaned forward, closer to the table, suddenly believing they were playing the most interesting card game ever.

Liara shifted her eyes for moment. "Jane, I would never betray your trust or do anything to intentionally hurt you. Ms Lawson spoke to me concerning you. She is worried too."

"Miranda talked to you about me?" asked Shepard, utterly bewildered. "Why don't you just let his go? I already said I'm okay. It's nothing I can't handle on my own. I *won't* argue with you," she said, storming out of the lounge. Liara quickly followed.

"Jane, please talk to me," she said softly, keeping up with Shepard's brisk walking pace.

Shepard stopped at the elevator; visibly angry that it didn't immediately arrive when she pressed the button to summon it. She looked to Liara, her voice also soft, as to not draw attention from other passing crew members. "Liara, I've done just fine these past few years dealing with everything that's happened. This is no different," she said, sternly.

"But it is different, Shepard," said Liara. "Let me help you," she pleaded.

The elevator door finally opened. The pair stepped inside. Shepard took a deep breath. "Liara, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I can handle it. Really."

Liara leaned against the railing, on the opposite side of where Shepard stood. "So, the fact that you destroyed an entire race of sentient beings doesn't bother you at all?" she asked, sounding much more confrontational and smug than she had intended. She immediately regretted her words.

Shepard gave Liara a look of disdain, something she had never done before.

"Jane, I -"

The elevator door opened to the entrance of Shepard's quarters. "Liara, don't. Don't say another word. Just leave," said Shepard, turning her back, the door closing behind her.

Liara stood in the elevator, feeling foolish and angry with herself. She kept her biotics in check and slammed a fist against the side of the elevator. When the elevator stopped at the CIC, she immediately left the _Normandy_, not talking to anyone on the way out.

# # #

In a rage, Shepard grabbed the model ship of Sovereign and threw it across the room, shattering it to several pieces upon impact. She fell to her knees, her body shaking in anger. In an attempt to calm herself she took deep breaths and hugged her knees. She shut her eyes, attempting to clear her mind.

_I'm such a goddamned idiot. Why couldn't I just admit it to her?_

She removed her officer's uniform and changed into her plain crewman's outfit. Regretting tossing her Soverign model, she picked up the pieces, placed them on the coffee table, and made a mental note to ask the requisitions officer to order a package of superglue and paints to repair it.

She left her room and headed down to the CIC, eager to get out of the Normandy and stretch her legs around the Mars base. Samantha Traynor stood by her terminal, datapad in hand, looking concerned.

"Commander, may I speak with you?" asked Traynor.

"Is something the matter, Specialist?" asked Shepard.

"I've been looking at Martian docking logs, and something's off. The was supposed to be a shipment of modified handcanons and sub-machine guns, along with several hundred units of medi-gel and other provisions to be distributed to planet-side personnel. The ship containing the materials was marked as having left Earth. It should have arrived several hours ago, but it hasn't landed yet," said Traynor.

"Perhaps it's running behind schedule? These things happen, right?" said Shepard thoughtfully.

"Not really. Not when it's weapons and medical supplies to Mars. The Alliance is extremely cautious when it comes to shipments here," answered Traynor.

"So what does this mean?"

"It could very well be a delay in shipping, or it could be something worse. I've tried to get Alliance higher-ups here on Mars to investigate, but I haven't been able to get anywhere with the bureaucracy. All my requests have fallen of deaf ears," said Traynor. "I can't officially use the terminals on the Normandy to investigate, as construction is priority and most systems are off-line."

"Let me guess: you need me to see what's going on with this shipment?" said Shepard.

"If it isn't too much to ask, I'd really appreciate it. I figured you can get anywhere with your Spectre status. I'll owe you a huge favor," said Traynor.

"What's so important about this shipment anyway?" asked Shepard.

"The modified handcanons are new Alliance prototypes, based on reaper tech. It's also no secret that medigel isn't as plentiful as it used to be. Factories that are still able to produce medigel on a large scale are operating at capacity, so anything we can get out here is definitely appreciated," answered Traynor. "I should add the shipments of Alliance prototypes and not yet available to the public, all of it is classified. If privateers or mercs get their hands on it..."

"You don't need to explain any further. What's the next step?" asked Shepard.

"Well, all you'll need to do is be yourself. With your credentials you can easily go in and out of central command as you please. The problem will be what to look for, which won't really be a problem if you'll take me with you," answered Traynor eagerly.

Shepard crossed her arms. "So you're just using me," she said lightheartedly with a raised eyebrow.

"I'll owe you a huge favor, Commander…within reason, of course," said Traynor. "Besides, I could tell you're getting restless in here. The _Normandy_ just isn't the same as long as she's being gutted like this," she added.

# # #

Shepard and Traynor walked down one of several corridors within the Mars base that was repaired after the Reaper attack and Cerberus infiltration. Shepard took a good look around as they walked along. Although the Normandy was housed in an underground area, docking central command was located near the center of a sprawling above-ground base. She took a look at the Martian landscape that greeted her through an observation window.

Around her, people moved with hustle, moving ship parts, working on computer terminals, and conversing with others. No one bothered looking up at her, which pleased her. It was a nice change compared to when she was on the cargo ship with Steve.

"It's like all the fighting that happened in here never happened," said Shepard.

"Things move on, I suppose. There's a memorial for all the scientists and soldiers that passed here during the Reaper War. Indoctrinated Cerberus agents were also included in a separate section. You bet there was some in-fighting over that," said Traynor.

"Over what? The separate section, or that they were even included in the first place?" asked Shepard.

"The latter, actually. Eventually, the board decided their names served as a reminder to us survivors. 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions' and all that," answered Traynor.

Shepard let out a sigh. "What's right and what's wrong isn't always clear, that's for sure."

Traynor looked past Shepard to the other side of the observation deck, her eyes widening. "Oh god..."

"What?" Shepard turned around, in shock.

Before her, the sparse Martian landscape was filled with the view of an Alliance cargo ship, damaged, and quickly descending to the ground. It was much larger than the one Shepard travelled on to get to Mars. Without a doubt it would destroy the entire landing pad and several docking bays along with it. She could already see smaller ships and shuttles take off in an attempt to avoid the damage. Some were unlucky.

"Shit!" cursed Shepard, running to the nearest airlock, suiting up as fast as she could. Others around her were running to their posts. She sounded an emergency alarm and looked to Traynor. "Get back to the Normandy and head to the War Room. Contact Councilor Lawson, Admiral Hackett and any other high ranking official on Earth. This is a goddamned emergency," she ordered urgently.

"What are you going to do?" asked Traynor, slightly panicked.

"Whatever I can when I get there," answered Shepard, putting on a helmet and entering the airlock downwards to the Martian landscape.

# # #

"You shouldn't have mentioned me, you know," said Miranda, her hologram floating on Liara's dashboard.

"Looking back, I realize that now. Though, in the moment, it seemed like a good idea," said Liara. "I just hope she'll talk to me again," she added.

"She will. As angry as she seems now, she's madly in love with you. It'll pass," said Miranda.

"I still feel awful," said Liara, turning on her shuttle's engines, waiting for the OK to taxi out of the docking area.

"For all your supposed intellect, you lack the necessary interpersonal skills to properly manipulate Commander Shepard," said Javik in his usual abrasive manner.

"Is that the Prothean? I wouldn't have said it like that, but relationships do take practice," said Miranda.

Liara rolled her eyes. "Javik and I will be heading back to Earth. We're just waiting for the all-clear to leave Martian airspace."

"I would suggest you stay there. Someone needs to keep an eye on Shepard, in case she does anything rash," said Miranda

"Shepard is a grown woman... She can definitely take care of herself. Besides, a large bulk of my resources was left on Earth. Unless I officially set up operations here, I can't work to my full abilities," answered Liara a little uneasily.

"Do you really have pressing matters to attend to here? I need a good set of eyes over there I can trust."

Liara raised an eyebrow. "You trust me?"

"Well, I trust you to have Shepard's best interests at heart" answered Miranda. "I'll pull some strings and get you situated on the _Normandy_. You're still writing that book about the prothean, right? What better place to finish that book than in the very location the action happened?" said Miranda sarcastically. "There's more than enough room on that ship for the pair of you anyway," she added.

"I have my reservations, Councilor, but …I suppose a part of me does agree: Shepard shouldn't be alone," said Liara.

"The Commander is not alone. She is in a ship filled with other humans. The ship is located in a station operated by even more humans. They are not as brave as her, but I find this talk of Shepard's mental state depending on whether or not she is surrounded by others pure rubbish," interjected Javik.

Miranda chuckled. "I like his sense of humor, Doctor."

"That makes one of us," responded Liara. She looked over to Javik who simply stared straight ahead.

"I'll get the word in about you working on the Normandy as some sort of advisor or historian. In the meantime, sit tight and stay out of trouble," Miranda said jokingly.

"Please. If I get into any sort of predicament, Shepard is always involved in some way. The state of things now, trouble won't be an issue," Liara said, almost somberly.

"All right then. Keep me posted, if anything happens," said Miranda, before her hologram dissolved.

Liara looked over to Javik. "I suppose we should take back our request to -"

Before she could finish her sentence, bright light obscured both their vision and filled the shuttle. Javik processed the sight in front of them before Liara could, and activated the shuttle's engines and forced it forward.

Liara grabbed her breather mask and put it on, handing another one to Javik, who quickly put it on as well.

"Are we under attack?" she asked, slightly anxious.

Her eyes adjusted to the bright light and saw a large ship, crashing down before them. Although they were on the other side of the landing dock, they were still too close for comfort. Getting hit by falling debris was highly probable if they didn't move.

"We are not, but it is likely that ship is," answered Javik bluntly. He swerved their shuttle away from any falling debris. "Despite acquainting myself with your culture's primitive technologies, I cannot help but think making it necessary to move parts of my body to fly a ship is ludicrous," he added.

Liara rolled her eyes. "Technically speaking, this is a human ship. Blame them, if you want," she said mockingly.

"Oh, I cannot blame one race for this inanity. As a whole, this cycle is severely stunted in regards to its technological advances. I can only imagine how better off you all would have been under my people's rule," he said, flying the ship above the wreckage and away from danger.

"Indeed. We can only wonder," she responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Either way, we should double-back. Help any survivors," she added seriously.

Javik merely grunted in response. "Returning to the scene won't help us. What would the human authorities think, looking at two non-humans rummaging around the remains of an Alliance ship?"

"I disagree. How would it look if we fled the scene when we could have helped those potentially in need?. Things clearly don't bode well if an Alliance ship crashes right by its own planet-side base," she said calmly.

Javik begrudgingly turned the ship around when an announcement came from the shuttle's loudspeaker:

_Attention: Mars is on planetary lockdown. All non-emergency ships are commanded to land in one of three designated landing zones, specified by green smokescreens. Attention: Mars is on planetary lockdown. All non-emergency…_

Liara lowered the volume on the loudspeaker. "Well, there's our answer."

Javik landed in the nearest green plume of smoke. A few ships landed not far from them, all of them small vessels. Liara got up from her seat, making sure her N7 Hurricane was loaded and ready. Javik strapped his particle rifle on his back and they exited the shuttle. Sure, being armed wasn't as _non-threatening_ as possible, but they weren't going to walk into an unknown situation unarmed.

# # #

Shepard stepped out of the emergency rescue shuttle and looked up at the cargo ship that stood before her. It was still in one piece, though there was evidence of it being attacked. Large scorch marks filled the side of the ship. Her helmet's HUD and omni-tool showed her that a few escape pods were ejected, though there was no word on where those pods were. It was also bombarded with several general distress signals.

"At least there's some ship left," she whispered to herself. She walked around the crash site, looking at the damage done to the hull. It was clearly attacked by a large canon of some sort.

Another Alliance shuttle flew overheard, scanning the ship for any potential signs of life.

"We're getting no signs of organic life," said a voice in Shepard's earpiece. She was shocked to hear it, as it belonged to Rear-Admiral Yamamoto.

"My helmet's picking up a distress signal, though. It looks like the ship was attacked. We wont know for sure until we conduct an investigation. How are things going in the base?" she asked.

"Complete planetary lockdown. Any ship orbiting Martian airspace was forced to land or else face the barrage of my fleet," she said sternly. "If you must know, we have yet to waste ammunition on any non-Alliance ship."

"Find anything suspicious?" asked Shepard, entering a hole in the hull, created by a laser cutter on her omni-tool. Inside, the ship was in shambles. She took out her weapon, turning on its flashlight. A small group of Alliance soldiers followed her in.

"We're in the process of looking through all the grounded ships and questioning their respective crews. It will take a while, but nothing's standing out at the moment. For now, focus on figuring out what crashed that ship, Commander. Whatever it takes," said Yamamoto. "As a Spectre, you have the power to do things I can't. Use it," she added.

"I'll do what needs to be done," responded Shepard.

"Good. Yamamoto out."

Shepard had the ship's schematics uploaded on to her omni-tool. Her helmet's HUD gave her an estimate of her location within the ship. She broadened her communication's frequency.

"This is Commander Shepard and I'm leading this salvage operation. Given the state of the ship, it's unlikely we'll find any survivors, but keep your eyes open in case we miss anything. Record everything you see and upload the data onto the Alliance servers," she said.

She paced around for a moment thinking about the next steps.

"We'll need crews to take apart the hull and break down the ship bit by bit. We'll also need an engineering team to salvage any bit of tech we still can, and to prevent accidents from happening. First thing's first: who wants to volunteer with me to lead the search and recovery?"

A small group of soldiers raised their hands to volunteer. "How are we going to get from here to the helm?" one of them asked.

Shepard grinned, though none of the soldiers could see it through her helmet. "With mag boots and climbing equipment. The hard way."

# # #

Liara sat alone in a small, climate-controlled interrogation room. She had waited to be questioned along with various crews of other ships that were in the vicinity of Mars. She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms, waiting for her interrogator to enter the room. They had kept her weapons locked away, though she wasn't worried. As she waited, she poured herself a glass of water from a pitcher on the table and took a few hearty sips. She had been sitting alone for quite a while.

A young Alliance soldier entered the room, dressed in his uniform blues. He sat opposite Liara, with a datapad in hand. He looked at her and gave her a warm smile. Liara kept her guard up, sensing something disingenuous about it.

"Hello. I'm Sergeant Soto. It says here you're Dr Liara T'soni," he said, his voice friendly, if a little condescending. He turned on his datapad and looked at her, as if studying her face.

"Is there a problem, Sergeant?" Asked Liara, not letting his stare get to her.

"I apologize. You seem so familiar. Have we met before?" he asked.

"I don't believe we have," she responded. "Though, I get that a lot from humans," she added.

Soto let out a soft chuckle. "I hope you'll forgive me, my experience with asari is thoroughly limited. What are you a doctor of, if I may ask?"

"A doctor of archaeology. I've spent a large part of my academic career studying extinct alien cultures, specifically the Prothean," she responded, leaning slightly forward in her seat. She had to admit, she enjoyed talking about herself as an academic.

"It says here you're allowed on Mars as an advisor for the science team studying ruins excavated shortly before the Reaper invasion. Quite strange you should be here, now that the war's over," he said, his voice still eerily cordial.

"Technically, the permit hasn't expired, so I am still allowed on Mars," answered Liara, keeping her voice even. She'd dealt with interrogations before. She knew not to reveal more than necessary. She started to feel a little warm, so she undid the first few clasps of her overcoat.

"So, what brings you here?" asked Soto.

"I was visiting a friend."

"Someone from the science team?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, someone I knew from a few years ago. We had grown close, though the Reaper War made it difficult for us to really be together," she responded. "Though," she added, a hint of a smile forming on her face, "if not for the war, we never would have met."

"Is this person your bondmate?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Liara's face darkened. "I don't see how that is any of your business." She looked over to Soto, feeling a little dizzy.

Soto leaned back in his seat. "My apologies. I didn't mean to intrude." He tapped his datapad a few times before briefly rubbing his forehead. "Doctor, I'd appreciate it if you ended this ruse," he said sternly, leaning forward.

Liara raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked, rubbing her hands together, finding it harder to control her emotions.

"You're one of two aliens planetside and the other one is only here because he's got nothing better to do than tail you. Why are you really here?"

Liara rubbed her eyes. "I already answered you. I was visiting a close friend. If you want to know why I was on the landing pad, it was because I was waiting for the OK from the control center to leave Martian airspace when the ship crashed," she answered.

"You're Matriarch Benezia's daughter. Everyone knows she helped Saren attack Eden Prime. Hell, if she wasn't by his side, he probably wouldn't have made so far as to attack the Citadel," he said, his voice sounding accusatory.

"I…I am more than only my mother's daughter. If you have that information on me, then you should know that I aided Commander Shepard and the rest of the Normandy SR-1 on the hunt for Saren. You should also know that I was chosen by Admiral Hackett himself to advise the science team in recovering the ruins on this planet. I've… done nothing but help the Alliance," she said, struggling to find the words and focus her thoughts. She rubbed her forehead and felt increasingly hotter.

"And yet trouble follows you around, Doctor. I was mistaken when we I thought we had met. It's true we'd never met but I have seen you before," he said before activating his omni-tool.

Projected above his hand was an image of Liara kneeling over Shepard's body, taken shortly after they were attacked on Earth. She was aware that the image had become some sort of symbol of human/asari solidarity, though any feelings of goodwill could not be felt in the room. She shifted in her seat, memories of that moment uncomfortable to her.

"I remember that moment vividly, but why bring it up?" She asked, a tinge of scorn in her voice. She completely removed her coat and wiped her brow with her hand. She felt feverish and anxious. Her vision started to get even blurrier. "You've done something to me," she said as a matter if fact.

Liara's breathing quickened as she tried to stand up, but immediately fell backwards. He knees felt like jelly and she had no sense of balance. Her back slammed against the wall behind her and she looked at her surroundings. Her surroundings grew out of focus, and for some reason, she could see trees and grass.

_I am Liara T'Soni and I am on Mars._ She balled her hands into fists, trying to focus, but her surroundings grew hazier. It looked less like a room and more like a grassy area, which confused her.

"You're right, Doctor, I did do something. Nothing fatal, really. A little something based on a toxin created by the salarians…modified to make it non-lethal, of course," he answered. "We wouldn't want an incident on our hands," he added.

Liara struggled to get on her feet, but only managed to fall backwards again. Looking around, her vision seemed clearer. She found herself in that park surrounding Shepard's apartment on Earth. At her feet she saw Shepard, gravely injured and breathing shallowly.

_Goddess, no, no, no..._

Liara knelt over Shepard nervously. She looked up and saw Shepard's shooter, the crazed vanguard from Terra Firma. A part of her felt that something was not right with the images before her, but she couldn't quite place what. She felt the rage rising in her and stood up. In anger, she tried to release a biotic push, but nothing happened. It felt strange, being powerless. She stared at her palms, confused, and looked up at Shepard's attacker. "I'll find a way-" she said, before her words were cut off. Her body was slammed against the wall behind her, and for the briefest of moments, her grassy surroundings flickered out of sight and turned into a small room. Confused, she blinked her eyes several times, looked around again and saw the aboreal park. A crowd had surrounded them

_What is going on…?_

Seargant Soto moved from his seat and stood over Liara, his body glowing with biotics, holding her in place. "Tell me what you know about the crashed ship!" he demanded.

Liara looked at him in her angered state. She struggled against the biotic hold over her, but without her own powers, her movements were futile. She looked at Soto, seething with hate. Soto responded by tightening his biotic hold over her. She let out a grunt, more out of frustration than pain.

She answered, "Humans. You all think you have the answers and can do anything. Someone's hurt you where you live and Shepard rallies the races. For what? So you can take the opportunity dominate everyone else? I don't know what you're talking about, but you won't get away with what you've done."

Soto raised an eyebrow and let out a smirk. "You asari. So high and mighty, until someone manages to knock you off your high horse."

Liara scoffed. "I don't even know what that means!"

Soto simply shrugged. "I suppose that doesn't really matter, I've gotten all I could out of you," he said, brandishing a syringe. "Don't try to fight it, Doctor."

# # #

Shepard grunted as she hoisted herself on to the platform leading to the ship's bridge. Her squad, made up of a few alliance soldiers and another officer, trailed shortly behind her. On the corner of her HUD, she could see another group of alliance soldiers investigating other parts of the ship. A small squad investigated the engine room, and found nothing suspicious, while a separate squad investigated the cargo hold. So far, nothing appeared odd, save for the utter lack of life aboard the ship. The lack of and issues was what troubled Shepard the most.

A voice chimed in on her earpiece. "Bravo team here. There are some signs of a struggle, but no signs of casualties. Everything in the ship's manifest is accounted for."

"Roger that, Bravo. Charlie team, how are the reactors looking?" Shepard asked.

"Everything's still intact, commander, no leakage," answered a different voice in her helmet.

"Can we get some of the reactors running? Nothing crazy, but enough to get some power in here."

After a short pause the voice returned to Shepard's helmet. "Yeah, the engineers can get emergency power on in no time."

"Great. It would be nice to have some power in here," replied Shepard. _It'll also make getting these blast doors open easier for me_.

Shepard activated her omni-tool to help her keep track of the distress signal's location. It told her the beacon was somewhere beyond the doors. Around her group, a the ship hummed to life, though none of them held any allusions the ship would be space worthy in the near future. The blast door glowed red to show that it was locked from the inside. Shepard pressed her omni-tool against the door and began the hacking program.

"What do you reckon happened here, Commander?" asked one of her squadmates. Judging by his face and his initial eagerness to join her party, Shepard assumed he couldn't have been older than 22 years. He reminded her of Jenkins, though she tried not to dwell on the thought for too long.

"Corporal Ledesma, based on what I've seen so far, it looks like the ship was attacked, then boarded. We won't know for sure unless we get through this damn door..." she answered, trailing off.

The hacking program was taking longer than usual. Whomever locked the blast door was an excellent programmer, which struck her as strange. The hacking program on her omni-tool was created with code written by Shadow Broker operatives. It was essentially cutting edge.

Shepard opened an encrypted comm channel. "EDI, do you read me?"

"Yes, Shepard."

"What readings are you getting off this ship?"

"The _Normandy_ isn't operating at full capacity; my readings are comprised of what you're broadcasting. If you can grant me access to your omni-tool, I can get a better image of what you're facing," answered EDI.

"Sure." Shepard's omni-tool turned a deep shade of blue, which startled her a little. EDI's voice filled her helmet again.

"This door's encryption is of geth origin," said EDI flatly.

"What?!" Shepard exclaimed, slightly louder than she had intended. Her other squadmates were taken aback by her voice.

"I would suggest exercising caution when entering, Commander. Although you have done much to amend ties between organic and synthetic beings, we cannot know for sure what lies beyond those doors."

"Of course. It can never be easy with me, can it?" said Shepard sarcastically.

"I don't belive so."


End file.
